_PSP10_2014_cover[1]In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, Plastic Surgery Practice magazine’s October 2014 special issue focuses on the most exciting innovations in breast reconstruction surgery.

The 52-page special edition features Mayo Clinic’s Valerie Lemaine, MD, MPH, on its cover. Recruited by the prestigious Mayo Clinic to grow its microsurgery department in 2010, Dr Lemaine discusses microsurgery and other state-of-the art advances in breast reconstruction, including autologous fat grafting to the reconstructed breast and nipple reconstruction, in the cover story. She also calls attention to areas where there is room for improvement, including access-to-care issues.

“Breast reconstruction has improved so much in recent years, largely due to surgical innovations,” says Denise Mann, editor of PSP. There was a 21% increase in breast reconstruction from 2000 to 2013, according to statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

“We are now witnessing a paradigm shift as these surgeries are no longer considered solely reconstructive, but aesthetic procedures as well. Today’s breast reconstruction patients expect to look even better than they did before their mastectomy,” Mann says.

Other features in the October issue highlight new approaches to breast tissue expansion and postoperative pain relief, as well as the regular columns that our more than 11,000 readers have come to expect in each issue.

The October issue also unveils a new feature – “Where Are They Now?” In this feature, PSP editors catch up with past cover subjects to find out what has been happening in their practices since the cover story first ran. The inaugural subject is about Akron, Ohio-based plastic surgeon John Pederson, MD, and Breast Oasis, a charity he founded that donates slightly used bras to women in need and also provides breast cancer education to these women at the same time. Dr Pedersen appeared on the PSP cover in February 2012.

Starting on Wednesday, October 1, and lasting throughout the month, PSP will publish companion online content, including breaking news stories on breast cancer, breast reconstruction, and BRA Day events. BRA Day is a national campaign that informs breast cancer survivors of their breast reconstruction options. The BRA Day 2014 theme is BRAve Face.

The October issue will also be distributed at ASPS Plastic Surgery The Meeting 2014, to be held from October 10-14 in Chicago.