The Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery Foundation (AiRS) co-founder Dr. Rod Rohrich discusses the benefits of reconstructive surgery and how patients can fully recover physically and emotionally

DALLAS, Dec.15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Rod Rohrich, The Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery Foundation (AiRS) founder and board member, recently spoke at an event hosted by the organization in New York City. He discussed the importance of breast reconstruction in a patient's recovery process. AiRS is a non-profit organization that provides access to post-mastectomy breast reconstruction to women who cannot afford the procedure.

Dr. Rod Rohrich spoke to an audience at a breast cancer awareness event hosted by AiRS. "Typically, discussions on breast cancer focus on prevention and early detection," he stated. "What happens after mastectomy is uniquely important to patients as well. Breast reconstruction is an integral part of the healing process. It's an effectual way to improve a patient's outlook and address one of the most common post-mastectomy complaints, which is a simple desire to 'feel whole' again."

Rohrich co-founded AiRs in 2012 with Janet Denlinger and Morgan Hare. Its mission is to support, educate and provide post-mastectomy breast reconstruction to women who cannot afford this complicated and costly procedure. Breast reconstruction is a vital part of total physical and emotional healing for many breast cancer survivors, yet it is estimated that up to 70% of those who desire it don't have knowledge of the options nor do they often have the insurance or other resources to cover it.

"It's a little known fact that a significant number of women who would choose to have reconstructive surgery are not able to because of the cost. AiRS is a one-of-a-kind organization, which fills this need and is dedicated to supporting and funding a woman's right to restoration, education, health, and wholeness," commented Dr. Rod Rohrich. "As a surgeon who does both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, I was inspired to launch AiRS with Morgan and Janet. We wanted to create an organization that offered education not only to patients and their caregivers but also to the medical community, for enhanced treatment and outcomes," he continued.

About Rod J. Rohrich, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Dr. Rod Rohrich is a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He was the founding Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery at UTSW in Dallas. Dr. Rohrich graduated from Baylor College of Medicine with high honors, and completed residencies at the University of Michigan Medical Center and fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard (hand/microsurgery) and Oxford University (pediatric plastic surgery). He has served as president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the largest organization of board certified plastic surgeons in the world. He repeatedly has been selected by his peers as one of America's best doctors, and twice has received one of his profession's highest honors, the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes his contributions to education in plastic surgery. Dr. Rohrich participates in and has led numerous associations and councils for the advancement of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

About AiRS
The Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery Foundation (AiRS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing women, around the world, access to reconstructive breast surgery to help restore their lives to normal. AiRS Foundation provides physician training, opportunity and funding to make this possible. Founded in 2012, the mission of the AiRS Foundation is to provide access to breast reconstruction, after mastectomy, to women who cannot afford this procedure. Restorative breast surgery is a vital part of total physical and emotional healing for many breast cancer survivors, yet up to 70% of those who would like to have it don't have the insurance or other resources to cover it.

Educating women about their post-mastectomy options is of particular importance, especially when considering that a great percentage of women diagnosed with breast cancer are unsure of — or unaware of — their reconstruction options. Most breast cancer survivors who have had a complete or partial mastectomy (removal of all or some of the breast tissue and nipple) are candidates for breast reconstruction.

The Foundation works in partnership with physicians worldwide, providing the resources necessary to make reconstruction an option for women who would not otherwise have access to this surgery. To this end we provide education and training to physicians, globally, while supporting advances in health care research.

Jessica Holt
Holt Strategic Communications
512-456-8631
[email protected]

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SOURCE Dr. Rod Rohrich