West Bengal: SSKM hospital to perform double mastectomy surgery on 37-year-old female patient

Kolkata: For the first time ever in Bengal, a double mastectomy surgery will be performed on a patient admitted to government-run SSKM Hospital. The surgery has been scheduled for Friday. 

When both breasts are removed, it is called a double (or bilateral) mastectomy. A double mastectomy is sometimes done as a risk-reducing (or preventive) surgery for women at very high risk for getting breast cancer, such as those with a BRCA gene mutation.

The female patient aged 37 has been suffering from breast cancer in her right breast. Two UK doctors identified as Sumohan Chatterjee from Manchester and Amit Agarwal from Cambridge and another doctor from here will perform the surgery at the hospital.

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SSKM Hospital breast cancer unit in charge Diptendra Sarkar said "She has the BRCA gene, which makes her prone to breast and ovarian cancer. Since she already has cancer in one of her breasts, she has opted to remove both, along with her ovary and fallopian tubes, a move that will reduce the risk of a relapse by almost 100%."

However, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given permission to use a new implant for the patient where a specially made collagen matrix will be used to wrap the prosthesis to reconstruct the patient's breasts. It allows the surgery to be conducted faster and without the need to extract muscles from the back.

This is the first time in Asia that such kind of implant will be placed on a patient. Raise Healthcare, UK's leading specialist medical device distributor company will provide the implant for free to the hospital which usually costs around Rs 2 lakh.

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Rajesh Nair, Director of Raise Healthcare told TOI, "This matrix was originally designed by an Italian company, Decomed, and launched across Europe almost a decade ago. I have made certain alterations to it and made it cheaper. It is extremely effective and could soon be launched across India at prices ranging between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1.7 lakh, depending on the patients' requirements. It will revolutionize breast reconstruction and encourage more women, suffering from breast cancer, to go for a double mastectomy."

"Unlike the existing implants, which have to be supported by muscles extracted from the back, the matrix can hold the implant without support. So, it will be less painful for the patient, quicker and the procedure will not leave marks on the back. While breast cancer leads to physical and mental setbacks in most patients, cosmetic reconstruction aided by the use of matrix will be a paradigm shift in breast cancer treatment." said Sarkar.

In total, it will take 4 hours to remove the breast and reconstruct it. Removing the ovary and fallopian tubes will also extend the surgery time.