A Breakthrough in Breast Reconstruction

Just weeks after Elyssa Weintraub’s surgery for breast cancer in summer 2009, she returned to cheering at her sons’ sporting events, to her stationary bike and to hiking with her husband.

“I got right back into the swing of things,” says the 49-year-old women’s boutique owner of Palm Desert, Calif., “and with a positive attitude.”

When Elyssa was diagnosed with breast cancer, her plastic surgeon, Susan Downey, M.D., F.A.C.S., told her she was a good candidate for having her breasts reconstructed in a single surgery during her mastectomy.

“It was a slam dunk, no-brainer for me,” says Elyssa, who had one operation and one recovery, and never experienced not having breasts. “I’m a busy woman, and I was able to get right back to my family and my business.”

The single-surgery reconstructive option that Elyssa chose was possible because of the combined technologies and innovation of Ethicon, Inc. and Mentor Worldwide, LLC. Dr. Downey used FlexHD^® Accellular Dermal Matrix, a donated human dermis allograft available exclusively through Ethicon, to create a sling in Elyssa’s breast to support MemoryGel^® breast implants, produced by Mentor.

Johnson & Johnson, through its subsidiary Ethicon, Inc., acquired Mentor Corp., a leading supplier of medical products for the large and fast-growing aesthetic market, in January 2009. Mentor was a natural fit for Ethicon, a leading provider of suture, mesh and other products for a wide range of surgical procedures. In combining forces, Ethicon and Mentor aspire to be the trusted global leader in aesthetic medicine.

“The addition of Mentor expands our capacity to provide innovative, science-based solutions that can restore patients’ appearance, self-esteem and quality of life,” says Gary Pruden, Company Group Chairman with responsibility for the Ethicon franchise.

Not all patients know about their reconstructive options. While the number of breast-reconstruction procedures increased in 2008, a study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that nearly 70 percent of eligible women aren’t told about all their options. “This is an important conversation that should take place when a woman is diagnosed so she’s informed about choices that can improve her quality of life,” says Dr. Downey.

Before that conversation can happen, surgeons must know what they can offer. Ethicon has a distinguished legacy with the broad surgeon community, and Mentor is highly respected among plastic surgeons. “With our new partnership, we can educate doctors and patients to make a real difference in the lives of women who face these decisions,” says Delia Cook, Group Product Director, Mentor Worldwide, LLC.

Just two weeks after her surgery, Elyssa returned with confidence to her shop, B.G.’s Eclectic. “It’s crucial for me to look good in my clothes,” says Elyssa, who wears the colorful California lifestyle clothes she sells. What’s more, Elyssa’s customers expect to see her running the shop, as she often does alone. “My business won’t prosper unless I’m there,” she says.

“Elyssa chose an advance in breast reconstruction that’s fantastic for a woman who needs to run her business and keep her strong self-esteem,” says Dr. Downey. “It helped her restore her body and return to her life quickly.”

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