Breast reconstruction without large scar thanks to pioneering Maastricht research
Ever since 2015, MOOI plastic surgeon Andrzej Piatkowski and his research team at Maastricht UMC+ have been working on the so-called BREAST trials. This studies whether breast reconstruction by lipofilling works for women who have lost their breast due to breast cancer. Lipofilling involves extracting one’s own body fat elsewhere and putting it back into the breast. The most natural breast augmentation available.
Breast reconstruction by lipofilling
Currently, there are two options for breast reconstruction. Either the woman chooses a new breast with implant, or the woman chooses a DIEP-Lab, where abdominal fat is applied to the breast in one major surgery with a blood vessel. Through the research of Andrzej Piatkowski and his team, there may soon be a third option for women: lipofilling. The advantage of lipofilling, Piatkowski says, is that it doesn’t leave you with a big scar. In fact, the fat is sucked out with a needle and returned to the breast. Moreover, this method is suitable for women with little abdominal fat.
Positive
The government allocated more than six million euros for the second BREAST trial, which continues for a year and a half. This month, the Health Care Institute will decide whether the lipofilling method will be included in the basic package. If this happens, the Netherlands would be the first country to do so. The first results were presented recently. Piatkowski: “Satisfaction is high and quality of life has improved. But in the process, and we didn’t expect this, in a lot of women the feeling in the breast is there again. Nor is it enough for us to say: you have a breast and it’s done. A woman has to feel good about it.”
Forerunners
The plastic surgeons at MOOI Clinic are at the forefront of offering and developing the latest techniques and can educate you on lipofilling. Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrzej Piatkowski de Grzymala is the only plastic surgeon in the Netherlands with so much experience with the lipofilling technique with pretreatment with the EVE Cups.
Source: The Limburger
