New Breast Surgery| Better Results

Breast surgery continues to evolve better surgical techniques are becoming available. According to recent online article a new minimally invasive surgical technique designed for lymph node dissection in patients with breast cancer will allow for less pain and swelling and a more aesthetically pleasing appearance than conventional surgery according to recent research. According to the research and also left patients less likely to develop distant metastases, yet there was no significant improvement as a related to survival. The authors of the study, published online in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings said that because of the squeezing of pulling of the breast that is unavoidable during the conventional operation for the axillary lymph node dissection, there is an increased likelihood of mechanical stimulation of metastases via blood or lymph. Patients are also often left with scarring that is not aesthetically pleasing and it can also restrict shoulder movement. Researchers compared the outcomes of 1027 breast cancer patients randomly assigned breast operations that were either axillary lymph node dissection by conventional methods or the matoscopic ancillary lymph node dissection followed by conventional breast surgery. Each group had systemic therapy and radiation therapy and was followed for an excess of five years. Patients who had the less invasive lymph node dissection lost less blood during surgery than those in the conventional surgery group. The less invasive breast surgery patients also experienced less axillary pain, numbness, paraesthesias, and arm swelling, and also had a much more aesthetically pleasing scar. Researchers concluded that “While there is not as yet any significant difference in survival, longer term follow-up (e.g. 10 years and 20 years) is still needed to make a definitive conclusion. This may suggest that the axillary operation should be done before the breast operation even in conventional surgery.”  Just as the breast surgeries continue to evolve this is also the case for breast reconstruction. Dr. Seify is involved in many of the advanced breast cancer reconstruction treatments on the horizon. Clinical trials include fat transfer and stem cell innovations as well as methods to reduce the negative effects of radiation and how it affects breast cancer reconstruction. Dr. Seify often works with the entire medical team treating the patient in an effort to achieve the best results for the patient.