Plastic Surgery an Overlooked Part of Cancer Care
7/14/2023
Dr. Elizabeth Renaker-Jansen, Plastic Surgeon at Aspirus Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics
What comes to mind
when you think of plastic surgery? Many people think of face lifts and nose
jobs, but it can be much more than that. Plastic surgeons perform both cosmetic
and reconstructive surgery.
July 15 marks World
Plastic Surgery Day, which serves as an opportunity for Aspirus Health to
educate community members about the vital role that these specialists can play
in cancer care.
While the goal of any
cancer treatment is to cure the patient, sometimes cancer treatment will damage
or change areas of the body. Using reconstructive surgery techniques, a plastic
surgeon can restore the areas of the body that have been surgically altered.
“Having reconstructive
surgery can positively impact the patient’s sense of well-being and their
quality of life,” says Elizabeth
Renaker-Jansen, DO, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon with Aspirus Plastic
Surgery & Aesthetics. “Knowing the body can be restored allows the
surgeon to be very aggressive when removing the cancerous areas of the body.”
Breast reconstruction
after the removal of a breast, known as a mastectomy, is one common type of
reconstructive surgery. Depending on the patient’s course of treatment,
sometimes breast reconstruction can be performed at the time of the mastectomy.
The objective of the plastic surgeon is to restore the patient to their former
self.
“Hearing the diagnosis
of skin cancer is made more difficult when it could result in scars. We
understand this and make every effort to treat your skin cancer without
dramatically changing your appearance,” says Dr. Renaker-Jansen.
Plastic surgeons play
an integral role in the comprehensive cancer care of patients and can help
restore what cancer has taken away.
Plastic surgeons also
perform reconstructive surgery on other parts of the body that have been
affected by skin cancer surgery or other procedures. To learn more about
plastic surgery and aesthetic options at Aspirus, visit www.aspirus.org/plastic-surgery
or call 715-870-2162.
Aspirus Plastic
Surgery & Aesthetics is located at 1901 Westwood Center Boulevard in
Wausau, Wisconsin with some providers now offering outreach in Rhinelander
and Plover.
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