New technology can help breast cancer patients heal faster during recovery

PHOENIX (FOX 10) - In this week's Community Cares, a Valley plastic surgeon is talking about groundbreaking technology used in both mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, which can now both be performed in one day.

"Breast reconstruction is typically is done in multiple stages and each patient has their own unique clinical consideration, there are different types of breast cancer different locations of breast cancer different sizes and shapes of breasts, both historically and currently breast reconstruction takes stages," says Dr. Bryan Gawley.

Dr. Bryan Gawley, a board certified plastic surgeon, says thanks to new technology, the steps taken to reconstruct a breast after a mastectomy due to breast cancer are becoming few and far between.

"This technology called Stryker SPY allows us intraoperatively to more quantitatively look at the blood supply to the skin after a woman has had her breast removed," explained Dr. Gawley.

In a video provided by the North Scottsdale Gawley Plastic Surgery Practice, Dr. Gawley and Raman Mahabir, a cosmetic plastic and reconstructive surgeon, demonstrate how the technology identifies patients who develop necrosis and reduces blood supply restrictions to the breast tissue, the main cause of necrosis.

"The biggest thing that this going to help in terms of recovery is wound healing, every surgery creates a wound and we need those wounds to heal," said Dr. Gawley.

The new technology can also be used during gastrointestinal and cardiac-related surgical procedures.