Haripriya S. Ayyala, MD

Haripriya Ayyala, MD, is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in microvascular reconstruction with a specific focus on cancer reconstruction of the breasts, trunk, and extremities. She also has expertise in post-traumatic reconstruction, gender affirmation surgery, and other types of plastic and aesthetic surgery.

For breast cancer patients, Dr. Ayyala performs all types of reconstructions, but has a special interest in autologous reconstruction. These procedures utilize microsurgical techniques to take tissue—fat, skin, blood vessels and nerves—from one part of a patient’s body and use it to reconstruct a breast that has been removed in a mastectomy. “This is what I am passionate about,” she says. The most common one of these surgeries is the deep inferior epigastric perforator artery (DIEP) flap procedure, which uses tissue from the lower belly.

Many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer may not be aware of the pros and cons of procedures like DIEP flap surgery—in fact, the majority of women choose artificial breast implants for their reconstruction, says Dr. Ayyala. When she sees a new patient, she takes time to listen to their unique goals and discuss every available option. “Breasts are such an important part of female identity, so it is critical for women to have all the information when it comes to their reconstruction,” she says. “And breast reconstruction is something that we can do really well. It is what makes helping these women, by giving them back a part of themselves that they have lost, so rewarding.”

In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Ayyala is an assistant professor of plastic surgery at Yale School of Medicine and a researcher who focuses on patient-reported and surgical outcomes. One of her current projects is evaluating the optimal timing and incision patterns for mastectomy with reconstruction to decrease complication rates and improve aesthetic outcomes. “We are working on an algorithm to aid in shared decision-making between the patient and her surgeons when discussing the reconstructive journey,” she says.