About Dr. Lora Hebert

I believe all women facing the uncertainty of breast issues need quick and clear guidance.  My vision is to have a resource where all women can quickly access the expertise of a breast specialist thus decreasing the amount of time they are stuck in a state of uncertainty and anxiety.

The current process of breast care for many women is not structured for the benefit of the patient but for the convenience of radiology facilities and doctors.  Many women wait long periods of time from having a screening mammogram to additional mammograms to finally having a needle biopsy.  This period of waiting is agonizing and we providers should do as much as we can to shorten this waiting time.  

I had been a practicing breast surgeon for 20+ years when my dear childhood friend had an abnormal mammogram and was recommended a breast biopsy.  She experienced the same traumatic ordeal that many women go through; being told matter-of-factly that she probably had breast cancer and needed a needle biopsy.  Because the breast center was so busy, however, the biopsy could not be scheduled for 2 weeks.

Thankfully, her best friend is a breast surgeon so I was able to serve as her personal navigator and get the biopsy completed within 24 hours.  This allowed my friend to get results within 2 days which significantly limited the amount of time she spent in limbo wondering if she had breast cancer.  

The cumbersome way in which breast problems are worked up by radiology facilities had been on my mind for years because I had seen thousands of patients who had endured the exact same experience: no one who could tell them definitively whether they had cancer or not, long periods of waiting between a screening mammogram and additional imaging and then between the additional imaging and biopsy, waiting for the results of the biopsy, and then waiting to see the breast surgeon (the only provider with the expertise to put all the pieces together and tell them they were ok or not).  Until my friend's experience I didn't believe I could change this engrained process.

The disconnect in this process stems from a couple of issues.  Firstly, when patients are undergoing evaluation for breast tissues they are advised by a Radiologist and a Breast Surgeon.  While Radiologists are trained to read mammograms and ultrasounds they generally do not examine patients, they are not trained extensively in the interpretation and management of different biopsy results, they are not trained extensively to sit with a patient and obtain an accurate family history, and generally do not engage in discussing the pros and cons of a needle biopsy vs. a surgical biopsy vs. close mammographic follow up.  All of these factors, including patient preferences as well as financial considerations, contribute to a patient's decision to undergo a biopsy or not.  

I grew up in the Los Angeles area but, after working 5 years following graduation from college, started 4-year medical school training at The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.  I decided to go on to train as a surgeon (as opposed to a medical field like Pediatrics or Family Medicine) and was lucky enough to be accepted into the General Surgery residency program at The University of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  When I completed that 5-year General Surgery residency in 2002 I returned to California for advanced training under 4 pioneering women breast surgeons at The University of California, San Francisco.

At that time, this advanced training (or "Fellowship" as we call it) for Breast- only surgery was new and I was only the 3rd Fellow at UCSF.  I had always felt an affinity for Women's Health and in medical school had contemplated becoming a Gynecologist but, ultimately, chose to pursue General Surgery.  When these new Breast-only fellowships became available it seemed like the perfect intersection of surgery and women's health.  

I have been practicing in Arizona since 2010 but have previously practiced in San Francisco and Kauai.  Dan is my devoted husband and partner and we share a unique and interesting daughter Bonnie.  In my spare time I like to stay physically active jogging with my beloved dog Beasley and being crafty with my hands (mostly sewing clothes and knitting).

 Before I see a patient I will have reviewed all the available medical information including:

• Current and prior mammograms, ultrasounds, and/or MRIs
• Current and/or prior biopsy results
• Medical hIstory
• Family history of cancer

Next I will speak with the patient, examine the patient, and then discuss the available options.  I practice in a style called Shared Decision Making which means during our discussion we review the pros and cons of all the options taking into consideration patient preferences and desires and ultimately landing on a solution that is acceptable to the patient.  
 

All opinions expressed on my website are strictly mine and do not reflect, in anyway, the opinions of Banner Health or MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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