UChicago Medicine Breast Clinic at Silver Cross Hospital Offers Full Range of Surgical Options
Most women with breast cancer have some type of surgery as part of their treatment. Depending on the situation, there are different types of breast surgery, and they may be done for different reasons. For example, surgery may be done to:
Remove as much of the cancer as possible (breast-conserving surgery or total mastectomy)
Evaluate whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm (sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection)
Restore the breast’s shape after the cancer is removed (breast reconstruction)
Relieve symptoms of advanced cancer
As part of the cancer services partnership between UChicago Medicine and Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Dr. Jennifer Gambla specializes in surgery for patients with breast cancer, benign breast diseases, and abnormal breast imaging.
She performs a full range of procedures, including mastectomy, partial mastectomy or lumpectomy, excisional biopsies and coordinates breast reconstruction surgery with plastic surgeons at the time of breast cancer surgery. Dr. Gambla also offers a surveillance program for patients at heightened risk for breast cancer, including those with a family history.
Hidden Scar Technique
What’s more, Dr. Gambla is certified in the Hidden Scar TechniqueTM , an advanced approach to removing breast cancer in which the surgeon places the incision in a location that’s hard to see (such as in the fold under the breast or around the areola) so that the scar is not as visible when the incision heals.
As a result, patients have little or no visible reminder of the surgery or their breast cancer. And while many women see their breast surgery scars as an empowering symbol of beating cancer, many do not.
In fact, studies show that breast surgery scars can significantly impact a woman’s psychological and emotional recovery and quality of life after surgery because scars can have a large impact on a woman’s self-confidence, intimacy and body image.
The Hidden Scar approach can be performed for a nipple-sparing mastectomy or lumpectomy.
UChicago Medicine Breast Clinic at Silver Cross
Dr. Gambla, who sees patients at the UChicago Medicine Breast Clinic at Silver Cross, is certified by the American Board of Surgery. She earned her medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her general residency at The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. She attended the University of Michigan for a breast surgery fellowship. Dr. Gambla also holds memberships in the American College of Surgeons and is an active participant in the American Society of Breast Surgeons. She’s been in practice since 2005 but recently came to practice in New Lenox.
Dr. Gambla’s office is located at the UChicago Medicine Breast Clinic at Silver Cross Hospital, Pavilion A, Suite 455. For more information, call 815-300-5887.
