Yvette Walker
With KVCR News, I'm Yvette Walker. This is IE Latino Voices, where we invite representatives from Latino led and Latino serving organizations to share their stories and their impacts in our region. Joining me today is Dr. Alex Cheah, with Face N Body Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery. Thank you for being with us today, Dr. Cheah.
Dr. Alex Cheah
Hi Yvette, thanks for having me.
Yvette Walker
So what drove you to pursue the area of plastic surgery?
Dr. Alex Cheah
I knew I wanted to be a surgeon, so I started with general surgery. And there I kind of learned trauma surgery, cancer surgery, you name it. But along the way, I started to work with a number of plastic surgeons in the reconstruction portion of it, since as general surgeons, we do a lot of the mastectomies or cancer and then the plastic surgeons would come in for the reconstruction. So as part of that, it really changed my approach as far as being more interested in putting things back together and restoring people to wholeness, as opposed to kind of taking cancer and sickness out.
Yvette Walker
Absolutely. Sounds like you're a true artist to your core.
Dr. Alex Cheah
I think every plastic surgeon kind of has to have an eye for it. It'd be hard not to.
Yvette Walker
So when we look at the field of reconstructive surgery, what does that look like?
Dr. Alex Cheah
A lot of the common public doesn't understand how big of a role reconstructive surgeons play, whether it comes after trauma or cancer or even congenital work, like for children who are born with syndromes or cleft lips and palates, those are all plastic surgeons' territory. Specific to cancer, breast reconstruction has always been a big passion of mine. During my training, I actually spent a year at Johns Hopkins looking at outcomes in breast reconstruction, so it really encompasses a wide range in our field.
Yvette Walker
How has breast reconstruction evolved since the advent of mastectomies and the like for cancer treatment?
Dr. Alex Cheah
As technology has improved, really, we started out relying more on implants, but now, really, for a lot of folks who undergo radiation, the gold standard is actually you're using your own tissue. Of course, there are multiple sites. There's even combinations where you can use an implant and your own tissue. But for folks that have radiation, a number of them actually undergo a procedure that's kind of similar to a tummy tuck, where we take that same piece of tissue from the abdomen, but then we transfer it up to the chest. It's called the DIEP flap.
Yvette Walker
You also mentioned work with Mission Plasticos. Can you expand on that?
Dr. Alex Cheah
So in my current position at Face N Body, I've been fortunate to get to work with Mission Plasticos, which is a pro bono organization that does breast reconstruction surgery, essentially for free. Candidates apply through the organization, and then they see the various plastic surgeons who are affiliated with it, and really come up with a surgical plan a couple times a year. We do have surgical days where patients come in. Again, we have staff that donate their time, anesthesiologists, plastic surgeons. We're even associated with Sientra, which is now, I guess, Tiger Aesthetics, if they need implants to be donated. And yeah, we handle everything from placement of initial tissue expanders all the way through implant-based reconstruction, fat grafting, 3D tattoos for patients is kind of like that final part of the journey, too.
Yvette Walker
You mentioned the health and the psychological impact that these transformations and these reconstructions has on patients. Can you touch on that a bit?
Dr. Alex Cheah
Obviously, any sort of cancer diagnosis is very difficult, and when it comes to breast cancer, specifically, it's a very big part of the psyche for a lot of female patients, and having to undergo surgery, it can be a significant hit to their psyche, their mental health and their overall well being. Having the option to reconstruct even just the breast mound has been shown in multiple studies to have tremendous positive benefits for a lot of patients. So even if it's not so far as to get 3D tattoos and go all the way down that road, even just having some sort of breast form is better for most patients than nothing.
Yvette Walker
That's remarkable. When is the right time for women who are considering breast reconstruction following cancer treatment and mastectomy, and is this typically covered by insurance?
Dr. Alex Cheah
It is. I think, as it currently exists, the standard of care should really have any patient undergoing or even getting diagnosed with breast cancer, getting a referral to a plastic surgeon to have a discussion about their breast reconstruction options. Again, having the conversation is the first step. It's better than nothing, and whether or not they elect to proceed through the entire process, or just say, hey, you know what, I'm good after my mastectomy, that at least should happen. In fact, it's kind of mandated by law, after the Women's Health Care and Rights Act that was passed a couple decades ago. Unfortunately, I think a lot of patients don't have that access or that knowledge or referral base to even start that, and that's something that we've always been struggling to fight against as plastic surgeons.
Yvette Walker
So what's the best way for future patients to reach you and learn more?
Dr. Alex Cheah
So I think the easiest way is to actually look through our website, faceandbody.com obviously, since my current role in breast reconstruction is more linked to Mission Plasticos, obviously, folks can kind of look that up too and apply through that venue in order to get access.
Yvette Walker
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and your time with us today.
Dr. Alex Cheah
Thanks, Yvette. I appreciate it.
Yvette Walker
My guest today has been Dr. Alex Cheah, with Face N Body Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery. Join us again next week for IE Latino Voices. You can find this story and others on our website, at kvcrnews.org/IELatinoVoices. IE Latino Voices is produced by KVCR Public Media, and is funded by generous support from San Antonio Regional Hospital. Here for life. For KVCR News, I'm Yvette Walker.
