City hosp carries out breast reconstruction just after mastectomy

Coimbatore: A 37-year-old woman diagnosed with multiple cancerous tumours in both her breasts, had them reconstructed immediately after her mastectomy. Doctors say that she could skip chemotherapy because cancer was detected at an early stage and may have to undergo only minimal sessions of radiotherapy.
At a time when most oncologists in the city offer the option of breast reconstruction only after the cancer is cured and only to patients who can afford it, city-based Ganga Hospital reconstructed the patient’s breast using microsurgery immediately after mastectomy. “Oncologist Dr Vimala Kannan informed the patient that she had been diagnosed with multiple cancerous tumours in both her breast and recommended that she get them both removed completely,” said oncoplastic breast surgeon, Dr Raja Shanmuga Krishnan. “Breast conservation was not possible. The woman wanted to get her breasts reconstructed immediately if it was possible. In the same surgery, we removed her breasts and reconstructed them with some tissue we removed from her inner thighs,” he said.

The doctors wanted to create awareness that cancer can be treated in a reconstructed breast too. “While silicone implants may get infected or create complications while the patient undergoes chemotherapy or radiotherapy, when the breast is reconstructed using the patient’s own tissues and blood vessels, it can withstand radiotherapy comfortably,” said Krishnan.

As part of the same surgery, tissue was removed from the patient’s upper inner thighs along with its blood supply. “The supply is supported by small blood vessels of 1.5mm in diameter. The tissue was shaped like a breast and the nipple was created. It was anchored to the chest wall and brought back to life by attaching to the artery and the veins in the chest wall,” said Dr Krishnan.

The eight-hour long procedure was completely covered by insurance.