Reconstructive Surgery

Surgeries and Procedures

The department’s main areas of expertise include:

• Breast reconstruction following full or partial mastectomy
• Abdominal wall reconstruction
• Microsurgical procedures (transferring tissue from one area of the body to another)
• Body contouring after significant weight loss
• Excision of skin tumors (melanoma, BCC, SCC), including the use of the MOHS technique and dermatoscopy
• Treatment of chronic and hard-to-heal wounds
• Correction of congenital deformities in children
• Limb reconstruction
• Reconstructive surgery following trauma

In many cases, the department’s team collaborates with other hospital departments such as Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Orthopedics, Vascular Surgery, and others.

Breast Reconstruction

Breast reconstruction is a relatively complex yet increasingly common procedure among women who have undergone mastectomy or partial breast removal. At the Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), the treatment of women with breast cancer is carried out by a multidisciplinary team that includes a breast surgeon, oncologist, plastic surgeon, breast imaging specialist, social worker, and psychologist, ensuring the highest quality of care. In each case, the possibility of reconstruction is considered and tailored individually to the patient.

The reconstruction process can begin during the same operation as the mastectomy, though in some cases, it may be performed later. The preferred approach is immediate reconstruction alongside the mastectomy, allowing the patient to maintain her body image and confidence. However, there are certain limitations; for example, the reconstructed breast may differ from the original. The goal of breast reconstruction surgery is to create an anatomical structure that resembles, as closely as possible, the natural breast. As with any surgical procedure, some risks must be clearly understood beforehand.

The Plastic Surgery Department at the Shamir Medical Center performs dozens of breast reconstruction surgeries each year, which fall into two main categories:

• Reconstruction using the patient’s own tissue:
  Tissue is harvested from another area of the body (usually the back or abdomen) and used to reconstruct the breast. These microsurgical procedures include techniques such as DIEP, TRAM, or reconstruction using the latissimus dorsi muscle from the back, often combined with implants.
• Reconstruction using implants or expanders only:
  In this method, an implant or tissue expander is placed under the chest muscle and skin to restore the breast shape.