Breast health

At The Breast Center at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, our goal is to provide comprehensive breast care services to women and their families. Accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), The Breast Center at Sunrise offers an enhanced level of care with a team assembled just for you.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, with one in eight women diagnosed. Using advanced imaging technology and diagnostic procedures, our specialists can detect the early stages of breast cancer when it is most treatable.

For more information about The Breast Center at Sunrise Hospital, please call (702) 961-7250. To schedule an appointment, call (855) 445-2246.

Breast cancer imaging center and services

As a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, Sunrise Hospital is dedicated to developing comprehensive women's care and combating breast cancer at every level. We offer some of the most advanced diagnostic procedures available for detecting breast cancer, including 3D digital mammography with computer-aided detection.

The Breast Center specializes in many modern imaging techniques to evaluate breast health. Imaging services we offer include:

• 3D mammography
• Mammography
• Breast ultrasound
• Breast magnetic resonance imaging
• Bone densitometry screening

We also offer procedures to accurately diagnose breast disorders at the earliest stage, including:

• MRI-guided breast ultrasound (Locates unusual or suspicious cells in the breast and removes them)
• Needle aspirations (Pulls fluid from a lump inside the breast)
• Stereotactic breast biopsy and needle localizations (Suspicious cells are removed during a mammogram)
• PET/CT fusion scans (Combined advanced techniques to get a clear and exact image of breast disease that may be hard to find)

Breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction typically involves multiple stages, usually with a minimum of two surgeries. In most cases, the first surgery is the "biggest," with subsequent surgeries typically performed as outpatient procedures.

Breast surgeries and reconstruction procedures available include:

• Autologous reconstruction (using the patient’s own tissue to rebuild the breast)
  • Latissimus flap surgery (with or without fat grafting)
  • Transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) or muscle-sparing TRAM (msTRAM) flap surgery
  • Deep inferior epigastric perforators (DIEP) / Superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIES) flap surgery
  • Less common options: inferior gluteal artery perforator (IGAP), superior gluteal artery perforator (SGAP), lumbar artery perforator (LAP) and transverse upper gracilis (TUG) flaps
  • Goldilocks procedure
• Hybrid reconstruction (combining implants and autologous tissue)
• Implant-based reconstruction
  • Direct-to-implant (one-step implant immediate breast reconstruction)
  • Immediate expander placement followed by staged implant reconstruction
• Mastectomy (skin sparing, nipple sparing, skin reducing)

DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery in Las Vegas

Sunrise Hospital offers DIEP flap microsurgical breast reconstruction to rebuild breasts after a mastectomy harnessing the patient’s own tissue. DIEP flaps use blood vessels, skin and fat, most commonly from the individual’s lower abdomen, which is transferred to the chest. DIEP flap reconstruction is a two-phase surgical procedure about five to six months apart.

During phase one, the tissue is transferred and a breast mound is shaped. In phase two, a revision of the abdominal donor site and breast shape is further refined.

Benefits of DIEP flap

While the DIEP flap is a longer surgery than other options, it has several advantages. The most important is that, across several studies, autologous reconstruction has the highest general and aesthetic patient satisfaction. The ability to reconstruct without the need for implants or foreign bodies makes the results long-lasting and natural appearing. Over the last two decades, improvements such as enhanced recovery protocols and increased operative efficiency have decreased surgical and recovery times.

Find a physician who performs DIEP Flap breast reconstruction

Breast health support and education

Breast cancer prevention is a high priority at The Breast Cancer at Sunrise. Genetic counseling is available for women at high risk for breast cancer due to family history, previous worrisome biopsy findings, genetic predisposition, or lifestyle risk factors.

If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, we will connect you with a compassionate, multidisciplinary team of physicians, surgeons and nurses to collaborate on the best path for your care. Your cancer team will support you through each stage of your journey, from diagnosis through recovery.

We understand that not all of your needs are medical. Throughout each month, we provide resources such as:

• Breast health education
• Wellness lectures and support groups
• Young survivor support group
• "Look Good Feel Better" program
• Oncology nutrition classes
• American Cancer Society patient navigator

Our Breast Center also features a resource library. This library contains information about breast cancer and breast health. We also offer internet access so you can search for information online.

Additionally, we collaborate with many organizations to integrate community services and medical care in the Southern Nevada community. These partnerships make sure you always have an expanded network of resources. Our community partners include:

• The Caring Place
• Women's Health Connection
• Center for Compassionate Care
• American Cancer Society

Breast health navigators

Unique to our program is our coordinated approach to breast cancer and your involvement in the treatment options. We offer access to breast health navigators to act as a liaison between you and your treatment team.

Our goal is to provide patients with the education, support and coordination to help them maneuver most effectively through their breast care experience.

Our breast health nurse navigators:

• Coordinate services everywhere that breast care needs to be delivered
• Supply educational resources on breast health, breast cancer and breast care
• Help patients make informed decisions about their breast care plan
• Promote communication between patients and their health care providers
• Provide community resources from support groups to medical equipment
• Are a liaison between the patient and physicians to ensure better patient understanding of medical recommendations
• Assist women that have an abnormal mammogram
• Provide follow-up ensuring the patients receive timely exam results
• Offer support and aids patients as they prepare and recover from a biopsy of the breast
• Assure that you have the educational resources and support services needed to receive quality care
• Inform you and other people you select to know about procedures and treatment plans
• Ensure follow-up appointments on time and when convenient for you
• Connect you and your loved ones to resources and support services

Caring for Colleagues

The Breast Center at Sunrise developed the Caring for Colleagues program to help organizations find time and encourage their employees to schedule a screening mammogram.

How to reduce your breast cancer risk

If you have a high risk of getting breast cancer, you may be prescribed medicines such as tamoxifen, raloxifene and aromatase inhibitors. In addition, regular mammograms are essential because they allow an early diagnosis when pre-cancerous growths can be identified and treated.

If you are 40 years old or older and are high-risk, it is important to start screenings earlier. Other ways to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer include:

• Avoid smoking
• Limit your alcohol intake
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get two to three hours of exercise per week
• Limit hormone therapy after menopause