Prof. Walter Tan (left), Medical Director and Specialist in General and Plastic Surgery, performs a mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction within the same procedure.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Lan underwent breast augmentation in her native Vietnam 15 years ago. Although the 50 year-old businesswoman from Ho Chi Minh City was satisfied with the outcome for many years, in 2005 she began to realise that something was amiss.
“My breasts got harder and I was feeling some discomfort. For 4 years, I ignored it and went on with my life,” shares the 30-year veteran of the jewellery industry.
In early 2009, Ms. Nguyen’s concerns were reignited after meeting a friend who had developed breast cancer. She discovered that many of her friend’s symptoms, hard and itchy breasts with lumps, bore a disturbing resemblance to what she had been experiencing.
She began to do some research online and grew increasingly worried. Eventually, Ms. Nguyen decided to have her symptoms properly investigated. Through the recommendation of a local medical information website, she was directed to Raffles Hospital in Singapore. Without further delay, she quickly arranged to consult a senior specialist there.
Specialist in Plastic Surgery and Medical Director of Raffles Hospital, Professor Walter Tan, met Ms. Nguyen in early May 2009 and recalls their conversation.
“She was clearly distraught about the possibility that she may have developed breast cancer. She informed me that she had undergone a cosmetic procedure where liquid silicone or paraffin oil was injected into her breasts. While the initial results of this procedure are often impressive, over time, complications are frequent.”
Fortunately for Ms. Nguyen, a breast MRI scan revealed that she had not developed breast cancer. However, it did confirm the presence of an extensive amount of silicone granulomas (adverse tissue reaction to silicone) and cysts in both breasts. Theses factors can promote the formation of breast cancer at a later stage.
Professor Tan’s strategy aimed to achieve two goals for Ms. Nguyen. The first was to remove most of the hard silicone granulomas, while the second was to construct a pair of breasts that looked and felt more natural.
During the four-hour procedure, he carried out a subcutaneous mastectomy (removal of the breast below the skin) to achieve the first goal. For the second, he reconstructed her breasts using cohesive gel breast implants to attain the desired aesthetic result. Ms. Nguyen spent the next nine days recuperating in hospital.
“The challenges of this procedure were to be able to remove the abnormal tissues within the breast without injuring the overlying skin and nipple-areolar complex (area encompassing nipple and areola), plus to preserve the blood and nerve supply to these structures. We also had to ensure that there was no post-operative bleeding, infection or scar formation,” explains Professor Tan.
With experienced in-house specialists like breast radiologists, breast pathologists, breast surgeons and plastic surgeons on hand, it is not surprising that Raffles Hospital has to date carried out many such procedures, with a success rate comparable to any of the top medical centres around the world.
Although she is expected to recover well, Ms. Nguyen is still required to attend annual check-ups to ensure that no late complications arise.
“I’m very pleased with the new shape of my breasts. I am also grateful to all the doctors and nurses at the hospital for the way they cared for me and looked after all my needs. And thanks to Professor Tan’s advice and expertise, now my worries are off my chest at last!” she declares.