The Division of Plastic Surgery is dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life of the patients treated for a cancer at the IEO. The surgical treatment of cancer especially of the breast result frequently in physical mutilations that can be partially or totally repaired thanks to Plastic Surgery. Total or partial Breast Reconstruction after mastectomy represent the most important activity of our department with more than 1500 patients every year. In that field, our Division works at the top level of the most recent techniques. The so called "nipple sparing mastectomy" avoiding the removal of the areola and the nipple when a mastectomy is required, has been proposed and technically set up by the team of plastic surgery, demonstrating the close collaboration between the plastic surgeons and the cancer surgeons.
Plastic surgery is also required after other cancers such as head and neck, thoracic, gynecologic and soft tissue tumors where the large defects created by the tumour removal should be reconstructed with a large armamentarium of flaps including microsurgery or endoscopic techniques.

Plastic surgery not only improves the quality of life of cancer patients but also provides a better surgical excision of the tumours by the cancer surgeon who knows that the reconstruction is available immediately at the same time of the cancer treatment.

The Division is included in the plastic surgery training of the School of Plastic Surgery of the University of Milan with two trainees every six months.