OCT. 10, 2005 | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) plastic surgeon Julio Hochberg, M.D., presented his success using the substance Alloderm in breast reconstruction at the American Society for Plastic Surgery annual conference Sept. 24-28 in Chicago. 

Hochberg, a professor of surgery in the Division of Plastic Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine, said use of the donor human tissue offers breast cancer patients a more satisfying and less painful outcome. His presentation “Alloderm (Acellular Human Dermis) in Breast Reconstruction with Tissue Expansion” was the only paper presented on the topic during the ASPS conference.

“The use of Alloderm saves time in the recovery process and patients report less pain and fewer complications,” Hochberg said. “Plus, the cosmetic results are excellent. Our patients have been very satisfied with the procedure and the outcome.”

UAMS is one of the first facilities to use Alloderm in breast reconstruction procedures. The substance has been widely used for skin grafts, cosmetic procedures and other reconstructions.

Hochberg uses Alloderm in breast reconstruction to replace tissue lost in a mastectomy and to provide additional support for the remaining muscle. Using Alloderm provides better support for the tissue expanders used in breast reconstruction, he said. His presentation also showed that using Alloderm led to fewer complications, which can include exposure of the implant, inflammation or discomfort.

Hochberg was co-author of a 2004 UAMS study that showed injections of Botox, known for removing wrinkles, also could be used for reducing pain and spasms during breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

The study found that women injected with Botox after the surgical removal of their breasts had less pain and shorter hospital stays during reconstruction with tissue expanders. Tissue expanders are temporary implants placed beneath the chest muscle and slowly inflated over several weeks to stretch the tissue in preparation for permanent saline implants.

Many years ago, women with breast cancer had to face the prospect of a radical mastectomy -- removal of the skin, muscle and the entire breast. Hochberg said research by the Breast Team at UAMS led by Suzanne Klimberg, M.D., director of breast surgical oncology in the Arkansas Cancer Research Center at UAMS and a professor of surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine, has led to improvements that allow doctors to save as much of the breast as possible without increasing the risk of cancer redevelopment.