Dr. Ayesha Cheema is a primary care doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians at Columbia. She offers experienced and thoughtful primary care for adults of Howard County.
Mercy's team of cancer doctors diagnose and treat melanoma, a very serious form of skin cancer.
Our Center offers physician expertise with a dedication to advancing services and treatments for neurological disorders and neuromuscular diseases.
Mercy offers emergency care on the Downtown Baltimore campus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (410-332-9477) with access to a trained emergency medicine team, diagnostic services and consultations with specialists.
In case of an Emergency, Dial 911 and follow the instructions of the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) team.
Mercy Medical Center's downtown campus includes our Main Hospital - The Mary Catherine Bunting Center, McAuley Plaza and The Weinberg Center.
General visiting hours at Mercy are 11:00 am to 8:30 pm. Hours vary by floor, please check with the nursing staff or call 410-332-9555.
See Before and After Photos of Breast Implant Reconstruction >
Breast implants are a breast reconstruction option offered by the plastic surgeons at The Breast Reconstruction and Restoration Center at Mercy. Our doctors are skilled in performing breast reconstruction following mastectomy and work individually with patients and their breast surgeons to determine if breast implants are the best breast reconstruction option for their needs.
A breast tissue expander is inserted under the chest muscle wall after the mastectomy. The tissue expander, similar to a balloon with a valve, is filled with sterile saline solution over the course of several months in order to stretch the skin so that the breast implants can be accommodated. The process continues until the reconstructed breast is slightly larger than the desired final size. During the surgery, a drain is inserted into each of the affected breasts. The mastectomy is usually performed as a skin sparing mastectomy and great care is taken to minimize scarring.
The removal of the expander followed by the insertion of the breast implants is completed during outpatient surgery. The same incision used for the mastectomy is used to remove the tissue expander but only part of the incision is used. Patients experience some swelling after breast implants are placed. This swelling will cause the position of the breast to appear high; however, this will resolve itself as the swelling subsides. The final breast implants are a silicone shell filled with either silicone gel or saline solution.
Mercy's breast reconstruction surgeons coordinate breast and reconstruction surgery with the breast surgeons at The Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy. The top rated team of breast and plastic surgeons works with patients to develop the best treatment plan for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. Breast implants can be inserted during a mastectomy or delayed to a later time often following the completion of chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment.
Jennifer, breast cancer survivor and avid horse racing fan, tells the story of her diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Dr. Brendan Collins specializes in breast reconstruction, cosmetic medicine and plastic surgery at The Breast Reconstruction and Restoration Center and Cosmetic Medicine and Surgery at Mercy.
Donna, a nurse and breast cancer survivor, tells the story of her two breast reconstruction surgeries with Mercy's Breast Reconstruction and Restoration Center.