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Time seemed to stop, and I was overcome with emotion, as I watched Dexter Sereda, M.D., Medical Director of the Division of General Surgery at Memorial Healthcare System, perform a double mastectomy at Memorial Hospital Pembroke. Before undergoing anesthesia, the patient — whom I’ll call Maria — had said goodbye to her breasts forever. Watching, I was very somber. I was grateful to be honored by the privilege, but also recognized that as a woman whose mother is a two-time breast cancer survivor, this someday could be me.Yet my emotions were balanced by the knowledge that, as a Memorial patient, Maria was receiving the most caring, compassionate and comprehensive breast cancer care she could ask for.
Maria’s story began with a 3D tomosynthesis mammogram in the Women’s Imaging Center at Memorial Hospital West. “Tomo” is a leading-edge technology that can more accurately detect breast cancer, and it discovered an abnormality in Maria’s right breast. It turned out to be stage 1 right invasive pleomorphic apocrine lobular carcinoma. Unfortunately, the cancer was also surrounded by an extensive area of carcinoma in situ — a precursor to invasive cancer. After Memorial’s Multidisciplinary Breast Tumor Board reviewed her case, they reached a consensus opinion that Maria’s right breast would have to be removed. The good news: her cancer was small enough to make her an excellent candidate for breast reconstruction.
Truly Amazing Surgery
Maria’s left breast had shown no evidence of cancer, but she chose to have it removed as well, as a preventive measure. And then, immediately after the mastectomies, she would have a bilateral breast reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric perforator-free (DIEP) flaps. This is a procedure in which skin and fat from another part of the body is harvested to create a set of new breasts, and it was truly amazing to witness.
First, Dr. Sereda removed Maria’s breasts — carefully cleaning all the blood vessels so that skin and tissue that would be harvested from her belly could be painstakingly attached. He set aside lymph node tissue for lab analysis, which would determine her need for future chemotherapy. Then, he passed her into the capable hands of plastic surgeons J. Craig Uecker, M.D., and Jonathan Weiser, M.D., who proceeded to transfer a section of skin, muscle, fat and blood vessels from her abdomen to her chest, creating and molding her new breasts. Together, the mastectomy and DIEP flaps procedures took eight hours.
Today, I’m pleased to say that Maria is doing very well. The cancer in her right breast was completely removed, with no evidence that it had spread. Her decision to remove the left breast turned out to be a good one — because a tiny, previously undetected cancer was successfully eliminated when the breast was. She has recovered from the surgery and looks forward to further reconstruction of her new breasts, with added areolas and nipples. She will return to Memorial for those additional procedures.
Full Menu of Services
Maria’s experience is just the latest demonstration of Memorial’s leadership in breast cancer treatment and care — offering the full menu of breast cancer services from detection to diagnosis to reconstruction and survivorship. As a member of the Board of Commissioners of the South Broward Hospital District, I am proud that a nationally accredited center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is here to help women like Maria — not only to possibly gain additional years of life, but also to be able to live those years to the fullest.
As we observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2014, I urge you to understand your breast cancer risks, be vigilant about regular breast self-examinations and mammograms, and to explore the resources that an outstanding provider like Memorial can offer. As I’m sure Maria would tell you: You won’t regret it.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a great time to schedule your mammogram — and Memorial Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Services is making it easier than ever.
