PeaceHealth Medical Group Plastic Surgery recently welcomed microvascular surgeon Dr. Manish Champaneria to its team.
Dr. Champaneria is one of only two microvascular surgeons practicing in the entire Pacific Northwest, and is the first in the greater Portland area.
“We saw a tremendous need in our community to provide these important procedures,” said Dr. Allen Gabriel, who helped recruit Dr. Champaneria to PeaceHealth. “The specialists who do this work are highly sought after, and I am so pleased that Dr. Champaneria has agreed to come and serve our patients. His skills are phenomenal, and he is a wonderful person. I became well acquainted with Dr. Champaneria in 2011 when he accompanied our team of volunteers to Haiti to assist in post-earthquake medical care. I am so delighted to be partnering with him in what we think is the best plastic surgery team in the region.”
For microvascular procedures, Dr. Champaneria uses a microscope and specialized instruments that allow him to work on blood vessels and lymphatic channels as small as .8mm. Advances in microvascular surgery have yielded extraordinary results for patients, as it has proven to be the only recognized cure for lymphedema, a condition caused by blockage of the lymphatic system, an important part of both the immune and circulatory systems. The blockage prevents lymph fluid from draining, and as the fluid builds up, the patient experiences painful swelling of the arms and legs.
Lymphedema is most commonly caused by the removal of or damage to lymph nodes as a part of cancer treatment. Using microvascular surgical techniques, Dr. Champaneria is able to transfer fully functioning lymph nodes from a healthy part of the body to the part of the body with non-functioning lymph nodes.
“There are thousands of people in our community suffering from lymphedema,” says Dr. Champaneria. “Until now, their only relief has been through use of compression stockings, massage, and other temporary methods. Through microvascular surgery, we can repair the lymphatic channel and give these patients permanent relief. I look forward to providing this life-altering care to these patients and our community.”
Beyond lymph node transfer, Dr. Champaneria is also skilled in a highly-specialized form of breast reconstruction called DIEP Flap, which uses the patient’s own skin and fat to build a new breast. (DIEP refers to the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator artery, which runs through the abdomen.) In a DIEP Flap procedure, fat, skin, and blood vessels (but no muscle) are removed from the wall of the lower belly and moved to the patient’s chest to rebuild the breast.
The microvascular surgeon carefully reattaches the blood vessels of the flap to blood vessels in the chest. Because no muscle is used, most women recover more quickly with a lowered risk of loss of abdominal muscle strength. And, because skin, fat, and blood vessels are moved from the belly to the chest, the DIEP Flap procedure leaves patients with a flatter, tighter stomach. Dr. Champaneria performs a number of reconstruction procedures using the patient’s own tissue include the TUG flap (Transverse Upper Gracilis) from the medial thigh, and also tissue from the buttock region.
Dr. Champaneria is available for consultation on all types of plastic and reconstructive surgery. He can be reached at PeaceHealth Medical Group – Plastic Surgery located at 505 NE 87th Avenue, Building A, Suite 250; or by telephone at (360) 514-1010.
