Hidden Scar Surgery: It’s No Secret

Scars on your soul

Scars on your skin;

Some on the outside

Some are within;

Some have a story;

Some are unwritten;

Some you can see

But most are quite hidden.

-EP

Each year, more than 400,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer that requires surgery, and each year, these women carry with them burdens of fear, sometimes hair loss, and, most noticeably, surgical scars.

When considering breast procedures, many are unaware of the number of surgical options that are available: mastectomies, lumpectomies, reconstruction, and, now, Hidden Scar Breast Cancer™ Surgery – a minimally invasive approach aimed at at at helping women restore their self-image and begin the emotional healing process.

University Medical Center New Orleans is among the first hospitals in the Greater New Orleans area to offer this procedure, which is an advanced approach that hides incision scars and minimizes the daily emotional reminder of a breast cancer diagnosis for patients.

Adam I. Riker, MD, FACS, LSU Health New Orleans, breast surgical oncologist at University Medical Center New Orleans, has been recognized as a Hidden Scar trained surgeon.

“In many instances, the incisions cannot be seen at all, as it is hidden in the inframammary fold of the breast,” Dr. Riker said, “and in select cases, the nipple can be completely preserved. This technology is exciting because it allows me to truly hide, as best as possible, the incisions that must be made for a particular breast operation.”

Breast cancer can be traditionally removed with a mastectomy procedure (in which all of your breast tissue is removed) or a lumpectomy procedure (in which only part of your breast tissue is removed).

With a Hidden Scar Approach to these procedures, Dr. Riker can place an incision in a location that is hard to see, so that the scar is not visible when your incision heals. As a result, you have little to no visible reminder of the surgery.

The Hidden Scar approach can be performed for a nipple-sparing mastectomy or a lumpectomy procedure. Patients who undergo the Hidden Scar approach do not have a higher risk of cancer recurrence than patients who undergo any other type of technique.

You may qualify for Hidden Scar Breast Cancer Surgery based on the size and location of your tumor, your breast shape, and your breast size.

To learn more about Hidden Scar Breast Cancer Surgery and other Services we offer for patients with cancer, visit www.umcno.org/hiddenscar