Prehabilitation in Breast Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction with Rebecca Knackstedt, MD, PhD
In this compelling presentation, reconstructive surgeon Dr. Rebecca Knackstedt will discuss her innovative functional medicine approach to preoperative care. By integrating nutrition, exercise, and metabolic health into surgical preparation, the prehabilitation model is empowering patients to assume an active role in their surgical journeys, optimizing both recovery and long-term outcomes. This transformational approach is also redefining how surgical teams think about preliminary steps for patients before they enter the operating room.
Dr. Knackstedt will describe the contributions to improved outcomes made by each component of her integrative method, and then highlight how she applies the prehabilitation model specifically to her specialty of breast cancer surgery.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Rebecca Knackstedt is a Board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in implant-based and microsurgical breast reconstruction and in prehabilitation for breast cancer patients. She is recognized as a national leader in the movement to integrate wellness and functional medicine into surgery.
Now an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Duke University, she completed her MD-PhD dual degree at the Medical University of South Carolina, and a combined plastic surgery and microsurgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, where she also obtained certification in functional medicine.
Dr. Knackstedt did her PhD thesis on Vitamin D and inflammation, and her subsequent research has followed her special interest in breast cancer prehabilitation, particularly for women undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. She has published over 90 peer-reviewed studies and given numerous local and national lectures on her research.
This event is intended for integrative practitioners of all disciplines. You do not need to be a surgical specialist to attend.
Non-members and med students interested in integrative medicine are also invited to join the webinar.
Cleveland Chapter contact: petergeller.lac@gmail.com