| Facial Reconstruction Can Improves Patients' Lives
Tri-City Voice, February 18, 2009
Washington Hospital Seminar Examines Procedures that Restore Appearance and Function
Our appearance often affects how we
feel about ourselves. That doesn't mean
you have to look like you just stepped
out of a fashion magazine to feel good
about yourself. But repairing
deformities - like the kind that result
from birth defects, injuries or skin
cancer - can go a long way toward
restoring self-confidence. And some
facial reconstruction, like nose
surgery, can also help you breathe
easier.
"How we look is an important part of
who we are," said Dr. Jason Van Tassel,
a Washington Hospital physician who
specializes in head and neck surgery,
including facial plastic reconstructive
surgery. "For example, repairing facial
defects after skin cancer can really
improve a patient's outlook on life."
He will present an upcoming seminar
titled, "Ear, Nose and Throat Problems:
Facial Defects, Surgical
Reconstruction." The seminar is
scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, from 1
to 2:30 p.m., at the Conrad E. Anderson,
MD Auditorium at Washington West, 2500
Mowry Avenue, in Fremont. To register,
call (800) 963-7070.
Van Tassel will talk about a number
of procedures that are available,
including rhinoplasty or nose surgery.
Rhinoplasty can improve not only the
look, but also the function of the nose.
Nose surgery can change the size of
your nose, nose width at the bridge, the
size and position of the nostrils, and
nose profile by minimizing humps, bumps
or depressions on the bridge. It can
also reshape the nasal tip, and improve
the appearance of wide or upturned
nostrils.
From a functional standpoint, it can
correct breathing problems that result
from a deviated septum (the wall between
the nostrils), birth defect or injury.
"I will discuss some of the new
frontiers in rhinoplasty," Van Tassel
said.
Skin Cancer Repair
Skin cancers such as basal cell and
squamous cell carcinomas are the most
common forms of cancer in the United
States. Van Tassel will discuss some of
the procedures available to repair
defects in the face after skin cancer
treatment. Often skin cancer patients
must endure the removal of portions of
their face to get rid of cancerous cells
and prevent the disease from spreading.
"This can really be devastating for
skin cancer patients," Van Tassel said.
He will discuss the use of grafts and
flaps. Using tissue from one area of the
body to repair another area is called a
graft. Skin grafts, for example, use
skin taken from the thigh, stomach or
other area to repair missing skin on the
face. Larger defects, like the removal
of the nose, can be repaired with
cartilage grafts, using cartilage from
the ear or the rib. A flap involves
using the surrounding skin and soft
tissue to repair a deeper hole.
Van Tassel will also discuss ear
plastic surgery, called otoplasty. It is
often used to set big ears back or
closer to the head to reduce their
prominence. Ear surgery can also be used
to repair a number of deformities,
including "lop ear," when the top of the
ear seems to fold down and bend forward,
and "cauliflower ear," when the outer
ear becomes permanently swollen due to
injury.
"I also see patients who have ear
deformities from earrings," Van Tassel
said. "The earrings stretch the ear lobe
and leave large holes that have to be
repaired."
To learn more about reconstructive
facial surgery and get your questions
answered by a board-certified
reconstructive plastic surgeon, register
for the seminar by calling Washington
Hospital's Health Connection line at
(800) 963-7070.
Washington Hospital has more than 350
physicians on staff representing a broad
range of specialties. To find a
physician, visit
www.whhs.com/physician. For more
information about Washington Hospital
and its programs and services, visit
www.whhs.com.
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