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bmichaels

A Blessing for Breast Cancer patients: Supreme Court Strikes Down Patents on “Natural” Genes Dr. Michaels' Blog

A Blessing for Breast Cancer patients: Supreme Court Strikes Down Patents on “Natural” Genes

On June 13 the Supreme Court denied the intellectual property rights claims by Myriad Genetics on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes used to evaluate a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Hooray! It’s always seemed wrong that anyone could own any part of the human genome. Myriad Genetics built a $450-million-a-year business on these two gene markers. Women with…
bmichaels
June 29, 2013
Breast Reconstruction 2: Timing Dr. Michaels' Blog

Breast Reconstruction 2: Timing

Timing is the first question that needs to be answered when considering breast reconstruction surgery. Should the reconstruction be started at the time of the mastectomy or after it is over? There are good reasons to choose either alternative. Immediate reconstruction, performed at the time of the original cancer surgery, can decrease overall healing time and time away from work.…
bmichaels
June 17, 2013
Breast Reconstruction 1: Reconstruction After lumpectomy Dr. Michaels' Blog

Breast Reconstruction 1: Reconstruction After lumpectomy

Breast conservation is the goal of lumpectomy surgery for breast cancer. It is a good choice for large breasted women with relatively small cancers. But in even the best cases, significant residual deformities can occur.   Sometimes the problem is caused by the surgery,  sometimes by the radiation usually necessary after lumpectomy. We can improve the appearance of a partial mastectomy…
bmichaels
June 5, 2013
Breast Reduction, My Insurance Will Pay For That?! Dr. Michaels' Blog

Breast Reduction, My Insurance Will Pay For That?!

Yes, breast reduction is a covered service by health insurance if certain criteria are met. What those criteria are depends on the insurance and the state. All companies require that the large breasts cause significant symptoms and that a particular amount of breast tissue be removed. Excessively large breasts can cause pain in the upper and lower back, neck and…
bmichaels
May 21, 2013
“I’m gonna have a scar? But I thought you were a plastic surgeon!” Dr. Michaels' Blog

“I’m gonna have a scar? But I thought you were a plastic surgeon!”

A plastic surgeon? Yes.  A magician? No. When there is a cut through the skin, the skin needs to heal. To heal, it needs to lay down new collagen, which is never as organized as the collagen you are born with. Disorganized, heaped up collagen is the definition of a scar. So what do plastic surgeons do to avoid scars?…
bmichaels
May 16, 2013
Why is it called Plastic Surgery? Is It Because You Put Plastic Things In People? Dr. Michaels' Blog

Why is it called Plastic Surgery? Is It Because You Put Plastic Things In People?

  When patients ask why is it called “plastic” surgery, I usually reply, “We had plastic before plastic had plastic.”  The term plastic means to mold, and is from the Greek word plastikos. It was first used to describe a specialty of surgery in 1837. The first plastic, on the other hand, was made by Alexander Parkes in 1855 by…
bmichaels
May 7, 2013
Breast Lift, How It Is Done Dr. Michaels' Blog

Breast Lift, How It Is Done

How is a breast lift performed? Three components need to be addressed: nipple position, breast skin envelope, and milk gland position and shape. Nipple position is the most important. The other components are placed in relation to the nipple. An incision around the nipple is always needed to relocate it. Different amounts of breast skin are removed depending on how…
bmichaels
April 29, 2013