Continuing innovation: Our commitment to innovative care
An ongoing commitment to my patients and my practice is my dedication to continual innovation in breast cancer treatment.
As a researcher and a surgical oncologist, I am passionate about ensuring I can offer the newest, safe technologies for my patients.
Depending on your treatment plan, I am able to utilise a number of leading and innovative technologies as part of your cancer treatment plan.
Here are some of the leading technologies I can offer to my patients:
SAVI SCOUT system
The SAVI SCOUT system is a newer alternative method to preoperative breast cancer localisation techniques. Previously, a hookwire was placed in the breast or axilla to locate tumours that could not be felt.
Now we are able to offer our patients the SAVI SCOUT system, which involves placing a reflector the size of a grain of rice into the breast. A device is then used in theatre to locate this reflector within the breast or axilla.
The benefit to this approach is that it can be placed at any time before surgery (no longer needs to be performed on the same day of surgery). This method has multiple benefits, including reducing a patient’s time spent in hospital and increasing the success rate of lumpectomies.
I am proud to have been one of the first in NSW to offer SAVI SCOUT to my patients, and that this has led to a broader uptake by other surgeons in the department.
Lipofilling
Lipofilling refers to the fat grafting/transfer technique that can be used for breast reconstruction and to fix breast deformities or asymmetries in the breasts following surgery.
Breast-conserving surgery techniques
The rotational flap technique can be used for breast-conserving surgery and can be used to fill partial mastectomies, marrying aesthetics with sectional surgery. We are using breast replacement (rotational flaps) and displacement (breast reduction) techniques to provide our patients with more breast-conserving options.
Multi-team collaboration and increased options
As well as offering the above technologies, I continue to collaborate across breast cancer treatment teams to offer increasing options to my patients, including engaging other teams as needed to offer you the best possible care.
In a number of cases, we coordinate with medical oncology and radiation oncology teams from the outset. When appropriate, we offer chemotherapy and targeted radiotherapy prior to surgery (such as for HER2 positive and triple-negative breast cancers) to achieve the best long-term result for the patient.
Alternative solutions
This collaborative approach includes opportunities to work closely with highly specialised plastic surgeons to offer options such as autologous (“own tissue”) breast reconstructions as an alternative option to implant-based breast reconstructions.
To discuss whether any of these treatments may be suitable for you, please contact my friendly reception team.