AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — A mastectomy is a common option for those that are suffering from breast cancer and there’s a local plastic surgeon that’s here to help them bounce back not only physically but mentally as well.

“A couple of thousand probably,” said Dr. Mary Ann Piskun, Plastic Surgeon.

That’s how many breast reconstruction surgeries Dr. Piskun has performed since she began practicing 27 years ago.

“In Amarillo it’s predominately done in one fashion and that’s with a prosthetic device either a tissue expander or the final implant depending on the size of the patient and the patient’s desires,” said Dr. Piskun.

Dr. Piskun says it’s then placed under the mastectomy wound under the muscle or another way.

“Under the skin and fat with some human skin that has been treated chemically to remove all the living cells so it can’t be allergic. It’s basically a scaffold for your system to have blood vessels develop and move into it,” said Dr. Piskun.

Dr. Piskun says there’s two common types of breast re-construction surgery.

There’s delayed, which can take place months or years following a mastectomy.

There’s also immediate, which happens at the same time as the mastectomy which Dr. Piskun says is more commonly done here in Amarillo.

“I think it gives people a little advantage psychologically in that I think they see that they are on the road back rather than just a flat ugly wound. It might not be pretty right away at the beginning but you can see that you are progressing toward recovering what you lost,” said Dr. Piskun.

Helping them recover not only physically but emotionally as well.

Dr. Piskun says the procedures usually last around two and a half hours or so including the mastectomy.

Dr. Piskun has been recognized numerous times as one of the top 10 best plastic surgeons in the country by the American Institute of Plastic Surgeons.