Breast Reconstruction

Dr. Zenn is internationally recognized as an expert in breast reconstruction.

Dr. Zenn examining a patient with a nurse behind him on an ipad

Zenn Delay Reconstruction Breast Reconstruction Reconstruction Revision

Dr. Zenn served as the lead reconstructive breast surgeon at UNC-Chapel Hill from 1996 to 2000 and at Duke University from 2000 to 2017. During this time, he collaborated extensively with interdisciplinary teams at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Duke Cancer Center. With expertise in all established breast reconstruction techniques, Dr. Zenn has been a pioneer in the field. Notably, he was the first plastic surgeon in North Carolina to perform DIEP Flap reconstructions nearly two decades ago, setting a benchmark for advanced reconstructive care.

Introducing Zenn Delay™

Zenn Delay Testimonials

Megan's Story - The Zenn Delay

Erin's Story - The Zenn Delay

Christi's Story - The Zenn Delay

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Claire's Story - The Zenn Delay

The Zenn Delay

Limitations of Traditional Reconstructive Surgery

Breast cancer surgeons need only remove the underlying breast tissue during a mastectomy. Due to the popularity of the Nipple Sparing Mastectomy (NSM), once that tissue has been removed, there is ample skin and a nipple complex still present. This is good because we know a breast reconstruction that uses a patient’s own nipple and breast skin will yield a more beautiful and natural-looking cosmetic result. Traditionally, the way to accomplish this is to have patients go through months of tissue expansion to prepare the breast for final reconstruction.

The Role of Tissue Expanders

The success of a nipple sparing mastectomy depends on having good blood supply after the surgery. The nipple and breast skin require this blood supply to survive but are accustomed to receiving blood supply from the breast tissue that has now been removed. Therefore, complications including loss of breast skin or the nipple can be as high as 50% if reconstruction is attempted at time of mastectomy. For this reason, most patients don’t receive a final breast implant in the same operation as the mastectomy.

Instead, most plastic surgeons place a tissue expander at the time of mastectomy. Initially, this tissue expander has much less volume than the required implant. Therefore, it places less pressure on sensitive mastectomy skin thereby encouraging the development of new blood supply. Since the process of tissue expansion usually takes months to achieve the desired size, the nipple and breast skin have time to regain the blood supply they need to survive.

Approximately three months after mastectomy and expander placement, breast reconstruction patients undergo a follow-up operation to replace the now fully expanded tissue expander with a final implant.

Despite widespread use, tissue expanders present several drawbacks:

Tissue expansion requires weekly office visits to slowly increase volume of the expander.
Patients report that as the expander increases in size, the breast area is painful (tight).
It can be challenging to wear clothes and look “normal” during the expansion process.
During the months the tissue expander is in place, the aesthetics of the natural breast may permanently diminish. Skin elasticity, scar contracture, and the expansion process can change the position of the nipple and the appearance of the breast. This makes re-creation of the natural breast difficult, if not impossible. Dr. Zenn has decades of experience in nearly every established breast reconstruction technique (DIEP, SIEA, GAP, TUG, etc.). As a result of this experience, he discovered that patients actually only need about two weeks after the mastectomy for their nipple and breast skin to regain a proper blood supply, not months as traditionally thought. Based on this revelation, Dr. Zenn created the Zenn Delay.

The Zenn Delay Technique for Breast Reconstruction

With the Zenn Delay, women have a mastectomy and ultimately final reconstruction with breasts that look attractive and natural in just two weeks. The technique extends the option of nipple sparing mastectomy to patients who previously were felt not to be candidates: large breasted women, previously irradiated women, and women with previous breast surgery.

Mastectomy

The process begins when you have a nipple sparing mastectomy with your breast surgeon. You may not be offered this option unless you specifically ask about “nipple sparing” as not all breast surgeons perform this surgery. If the surgeon does not perform this type of mastectomy, consider a second opinion with a surgeon who is familiar with this very common technique. You will not have reconstruction the same day as the mastectomy. This is the confusing part for some patients. However, herein lies the magic of the technique – allow the skin and nipple to simply recover. No additional stress on the area with an implant or an expander. The only thing the breast surgeon needs to do to prepare for the reconstruction is place a surgical drain to prevent fluid buildup.

Post-Mastectomy Examination

One week after mastectomy, you will see Dr. Zenn at Zenn Plastic Surgery in Raleigh, NC. During this appointment, Dr. Zenn examines incisions and removes the drains. The second week following mastectomy, lay low and continue to heal. Dr. Zenn’s research shows that two weeks of “delay” is optimal for the skin to recover from the mastectomy. During the two-week delay, the chest will be flat and pain minimal (in fact, most of the pain with immediate reconstruction comes from placing the implant or expander under the chest muscle — not from the mastectomy.) By comparison, women who receive a partially filled tissue expander at the time of mastectomy will generally look flat as well during this time, because proper expansion won’t begin for at least two weeks.

Breast Reconstruction

Two weeks following mastectomy, you will have your plastic surgery procedure. Dr. Zenn will re-create your breast by placing a breast implant in front of the pectoralis muscle. This placement greatly reduces any potential postoperative pain. Because the skin and nipple now have excellent blood supply, there is less concern about them not surviving. The Zenn Delay uses a patient’s own breast skin and preserves the nipple complex when safe from a cancer standpoint. Breast tissue is replaced with an implant two weeks after mastectomy. Reconstruction finished!

This entire process is complete months before the traditional tissue expander approach.

Dr. Zenn's Breast Reconstruction Patient Reviews

N.B.

I had bilateral mastectomies due to BRACA 1 gene mutation. Dr. Zenn performed immediate skin and nipple sparing reconstruction with silicone implants. My breasts look better now than they did before the surgery.

B.R.

Dr. Zenn is an amazingly talented plastic surgeon and is also a gentle, kind funny man, making a complicated surgical procedure and follow up so much easier than it would have been otherwise. He listened carefully and was responsive to my needs.

B.A.

As an experienced provider, most times I set the bar a little to high, but Jo Ann Garofalo, RN and Dr. Zenn consistently sailed right over it. If you are looking for seamless, comprehensive, compassionate care with superior surgical talent, consider ...

K.B.

Dr. Zenn, and his assistant, JoAnn, took great care of me during my reconstruction. It was a long hard process that included two unexpected set backs but they handled everything so warmly and professionally. I was kind of sad when everything was fina...

L.T.

My experience was amazing. The care I received was very professional, yet caring and attentive by both Dr Zenn and his Nurse. The surgery took long hours but has been very successful. I would refer Dr Zenn to anyone who needs plastic surgery.

S.P.

I LOVE Dr. Zenn. I had a double mastectomy in 2012 and he did my reconstruction. I had expanders with silicone implants and am really thrilled with the results. My husband is too!

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Dr. Zenn lectures about his Zenn Delay technique to surgeons from around the world at an international conference in Mumbai, India. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official academic journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, has reported on patients who Dr. Zenn has treated with the Zenn Delay. Even high-risk patients did extremely well after this surgery and benefited from outstanding cosmetic results with no nipple or skin loss.

Since publishing his findings in 2015, Dr. Zenn has traveled the world presenting to and teaching other surgeons about the procedure. Plastic surgeons around the world now perform the Zenn Delay to deliver safer and more efficient care. Dr. Zenn is committed to seeing the technique adopted as the standard of care, enabling women everywhere to have the most beautiful outcome possible.

More information on Zenn Delay here.
Find the original scientific article here.

Breast Reconstruction

Introducing Zenn Delay™

Zenn Delay Testimonials

Limitations of Traditional Reconstructive Surgery

The Role of Tissue Expanders

Despite widespread use, tissue expanders present several drawbacks:

The Zenn Delay Technique for Breast Reconstruction

Mastectomy

Post-Mastectomy Examination

Breast Reconstruction

Dr. Zenn's Breast Reconstruction Patient Reviews

Spread the News!

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