Babak J. Mehrara MD

Dr. Babak Mehrara, MD was a plastic surgeon who specializes in cancer reconstruction. Mehrara specialized training in microsurgery and extensive experience in reconstruction with perforator flaps, including DIEP and SGAPs for breast reconstruction. Mehrara also have expertise in using surgical and non-surgical options to care for people with cancer-related lymphedema. Babak research team and Babak study the causes of lymphedema so that we can develop better ways to prevent and treat it.

Dr. Babak Mehrara, MD was a Microsurgery is a type of procedure in which tissues are transplanted from one part of the body to another by reconnecting small blood vessels using a microscope. Perforator flaps are the latest and most advanced microsurgical techniques available for reconstruction. These techniques are an improvement on traditional microsurgery because there is much less trauma to the area from which transplanted tissues are collected. For example, in the DIEP flap, the rectus muscle (commonly known as the “6-pack”) of the abdomen is preserved, while in traditional TRAM flap procedures this muscle is cut resulting in more pain, longer recovery, and higher chance of hernias after surgery. Babak have lectured nationally and internationally on breast reconstruction and have published extensively on the topic.

Dr. Babak Mehrara, MD was a research interest is lymphedema, the swelling of an extremity that develops in some people with cancer who have lymph nodes removed as part of their treatment. Babak have developed a number of models to study lymphedema in the laboratory with a goal of understanding how it develops. Our long-term goal is to design novel methods including surgery and medical treatments to prevent and treat lymphedema. Depending on their circumstances, Babak offer Babak patients liposuction, lymph node transfer, or lymphatic by-pass procedures. Our NIH funded laboratory has collaborations with researchers at Stanford University, MD Anderson Cancer Center, USC Medical Center, and Beth Israel Medical Center.