38 Years Old, Unilateral Skin/nipple Sparing Mastectomy with Reconstruction. Wexford, PA

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I am 39 years old, 5’1’’, and about 110lbs. I’ve ...

  • 21 Nov 2016
I am 39 years old, 5’1’’, and about 110lbs. I’ve had one child. I was a 32A, probably more of a 32AA, if I’m going to be truthful! I was always self-conscious about my small breasts and thought about getting breast augmentation, but never went through with it. Then at age 38 I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in my left breast. I decided on a unilateral skin/nipple sparing mastectomy and reconstruction with an implant. I also decided that since I was going through all that I wanted to increase my size, so I got an augmentation done on the healthy breast. In terms of size, Dr. Clavijo and I were on exactly the same page. We never really discussed cup size, and just talked about making them proportional to my body, which is exactly what I wanted. I tried on sizers and we discussed what range of cc’s he would use. I trusted him completely. My implants are Mentor MemoryGel smooth round high profile. He used 350cc on the left and 200cc on the right, under the muscle. I’m a little over 2 months post-op and wearing a 32C. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome! The size is perfect. It’s almost hard to tell which breast was the mastectomy. Dr. Clavijo is an excellent surgeon. If I ever need anything in the future I would only go to him.

After finding a lump in my left breast, I was...

  • 20 Nov 2016
After finding a lump in my left breast, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma at the age of 38. I decided to have a unilateral mastectomy and I knew without hesitation that I wanted to have reconstruction. My oncologist asked if I had any plastic surgeons in mind and since I did not, she recommended Dr. Clavijo. I met with him to discuss my options. My oncologist had told me I was a candidate for a skin/nipple sparing mastectomy, and Dr. Clavijo felt that would yield the best cosmetic result. He explained that it would take two surgeries. During the first surgery he would insert a tissue expander which would then be filled over the next several weeks, and the second surgery would be to take out the expander and replace it with an implant. I decided to also do an augmentation of my healthy breast during the second surgery.
About 10 days after my first surgery, all signs pointed to me having nipple necrosis. Dr. Clavijo had me meet him at the hospital and we agreed that the nipple needed to be removed. However during the surgery he discovered that the nipple was getting enough blood supply and he was able to save it.
I went every week for 6 weeks to have the expander filled. A few months later I had the surgery to swap out the expander and get implants in both breasts, and have had no complications. I couldn’t be happier with the results. Both my mastectomy and augmentation incisions were inframammary, so they aren’t that noticeable. When I found out I had cancer, I never thought my breasts would look this great afterwards! I can’t recommend Dr. Clavijo enough. He is an extremely talented surgeon and treats his patients like family.

Provider Review

Julio Clavijo-Alvarez, MD, MPH, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
101 Fowler Rd., Warrendale, Pennsylvania
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  • 20 Nov 2016

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my left breast at the age of 38. While my health was my top priority, the cosmetic outcome was very important to me. I decided to have a unilateral skin/nipple sparing mastectomy with reconstruction. My surgical oncologist recommended Dr. Clavijo. I was obviously nervous during the first appointment, and completely overwhelmed. From the very beginning, I felt he cared about what I was going through. He shared some personal experiences with me and also used his sense of humor to put me and my husband at ease. By the end of the first appointment, I was certain that I was in good hands. Dr. Clavijo thoroughly explained the process that would include a tissue expander that would later be exchanged for an implant. I also opted for an augmentation of my healthy breast. For the first time since my initial diagnosis, I felt optimistic about my life after cancer. I had three surgeries at two different hospitals, and each time all of the nurses and staff had nothing but wonderful things to say about Dr. Clavijo. Not only did they think he was an excellent surgeon, but they enjoy working with him. Dr. Clavijo called after each surgery to see how I was doing. He explained everything that was going to happen thoroughly and encouraged questions. The staff at his office was friendly and helpful. His practice helped me through one of the hardest times of my life, and my family and I will always be grateful. I am extremely happy with the outcome of my procedures. Not only am I now cancer free, but the cosmetic results have exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend Dr. Clavijo to anyone not only because is he an excellent surgeon, but the way he treats his patients is second to none.

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