Cosmetic surgery proves a boon for breast cancer survivors

Nishi Mehta remembers the day she was diagnosed with the Big C vividly. “I am normally, a very level headed person and rarely break down. But that day, I cried all the way from my doctor’s clinic on the way home. My eyes were swollen and I couldn’t see properly. All I kept thinking was how would I continue my job after the surgery and will my partner accept me,’’ recalled the 36-year-old wellness consultant.

Her scare for disfigurement was so high that it kept her away from the doctor’s clinic for nearly two months after diagnosis. “I kept trying alternative therapies like yoga and starving myself on special diets. I lost weight but it didn’t seem to be working. So after nearly eight weeks, I gathered courage to see my doctor. Instead of helping myself, I had done more damage and the tumour had grown in size,’’ recalled Mehta, name changed to protect identity.

Her oncologist suggest mastectomy or removal of affected breast, Mehta felt like her breath had been snatched from her as she faced her biggest fear — disfigurement.

But Mehta was in luck. Thanks to cosmetic procedures, women like her can now lead a nearly normal life with a number of reconstructive surgery options available right from breast conservative surgeries to even implants or fat grafting. Mehta’s surgeon used a breast implant and within 15 days, no one could notice the difference.

“The aim of reconstructive breast surgery for breast cancer survivors is mainly to ensure that confidence level of women stays high. There are many types of surgeries, one is breast conservative surgery in which only a part of affected breast is removed and we use breast sculpting technique to give normal shape to breast though it is slightly smaller. The second technique is using implants and autologous tissue from other muscles to reconstruct breast while for bigger tumours, we do delayed surgery,’’ said Dr Arati Shirali, onco-plastic breast surgeon at Jehangir Hospital. While emphasising that early stage cancers give best results, she said that cosmetic surgeries have ensured that survivors can lead confident lives with no
disfigurements.

Other cancers that can be disfiguring with high psychological as well as functional impact are cancers affecting head and neck, say oncosurgeons. For example, mandibular cancers that affect the lower jaw or buckle mucosa cancers that affect inner lining of check can be especially disfiguring.