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Chief, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Associate Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology
Attending Surgeon
NCCN, Breast Cancer Panel Member
Reconstructive microsurgery; breast reconstruction, including free tissue transfer (TRAM, muscle-sparing TRAM, DIEP, latissimus dorsi) flaps; head and neck reconstruction; extremity reconstruction; complex abdominal wall reconstruction; complex chest wall reconstruction; melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer reconstruction; perineal reconstruction; soft tissue sarcoma reconstruction
Plastic Surgery |
I came to Fox Chase Cancer Center in 2007 after completing my fellowship in microsurgical reconstruction. Since deciding to enter the field of plastic surgery, I knew I wanted to specialize in reconstruction. I chose this specialty to improve quality of life for patients by helping to restore appearance and function after cancer treatment.
I was attracted to Fox Chase because of the access to resources in caring for surgical patients with cancer. In my practice, I see people who have been diagnosed with various cancers, including breast, head and neck, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. Often, my patients may require speech therapy, support services and treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy, in addition to surgery. Fox Chase's multispecialty approach and status as a comprehensive cancer center gives these patients integrated care to meet all their needs.
My patients often have many questions. Their concerns range from choosing the best surgical option to pain management and recovery time. It is important to me to spend as much time as needed during my consultations with each person. From this first meeting through recovery, my goal is to provide the best care possible and to ensure my patients know and understand what to expect.
In addition to performing surgery, I study surgical outcomes of head and neck cancer patients to find new ways of maximizing function and improving appearance, including the use of advanced computer-aided, patient-specific surgical planning techniques. I also gather research data on breast reconstruction procedures to determine which options may be best for different types of patients.
Follow on Twitter: @FCCCSurgOnc
I’ve been able to return to the studio and am recording, producing, and performing music.
I remember the day I was diagnosed so clearly. December 16, 2009.
As a cancer survivor of over 20 years and as a mother who lost a daughter to cancer, I can say with certainty that cancer does not discriminate. Prior to my diagnosis, there was no family history of cancer and I always lived a healthy lifestyle, yet this disease affected me. A diagnosis can sneak up on anyone, regardless of how healthy they appear.
In 2013, Alison Kovalchik learned she carried the BRCA1 mutation that increases the risk for developing breast cancer. Because she already had a number of other health issues, she was very worried about her options for preventive treatment. Upon the recommendation of her doctor, Alison sought answers from a specialist at Fox Chase Cancer Center, where she later had preventive surgery. She was assigned to a team of physicians from several different departments who all worked together to form an individualized treatment plan to ensure the best outcome. "Even though Fox Chase is a cancer center, its staff considers the patient as a whole person, which is something I hadn’t encountered elsewhere, and, to me, it is a true miracle," Alison said. "Fox Chase Cancer Center’s doctors worked as a team to treat me...I trust my team at Fox Chase. My doctors gave me my life back—in all ways, not only with the BRCA mutation risk. I know I’m in the best hands for my care."
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