How does AlloDerm work?
Dr. Amy Colwell: AlloDerm is interesting. It’s a substance that’s actually made from the dermis of cadavers, or dead people, but there’s an extensive processing system whereby all the cells are removed so that your body doesn’t reject it. If I tried to give you skin, your body would reject it, but the processing removes the cells so that doesn’t happen. What we’re left with is a soft, strong substance that is mostly a collagen framework so none of the cells that can cause any problems are there anymore. It’s helpful for us in breast reconstruction because it allows us to help position the implants How is it different than what people think of as a traditional implant? Dr. Colwell: In the past, we haven’t done a lot of immediate implant breast reconstruction, and part of the reason is that we didn’t have a way to really hold it in place. Most people don’t think about this, but a mastectomy removes all of the breast tissue, and that breast tissue goes all the way up to the clavicle and o
