MILLIONS of women around the country - and around the world - are set to benefit from a pioneering breast surgery technique developed in Whitehaven.
West Cumberland Hospital has created a new ground-breaking breast surgery, helping millions of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
The breast services team at the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) have evolved a new breast reconstruction procedure.
Ioannis Michalakis, consultant breast surgeon and associate medical director at the Trust, alongside his team of pioneering staff have created the new technique which is as part of a reconstructive breast procedure for breast cancer patients.
Breast cancer affects around 12 per cent of the female population in their lifetime and around 40 per cent of these patients will have a mastectomy, Mr Michalakis explained.
Reconstruction is an attempt to rebuild the breast; an immediate reconstruction is when a mastectomy and the reconstruction occur at the same time.
Mr Michalakis referred to the importance of this by using a quote from one of his patients: "A mastectomy is part of the treatment, but the reconstruction is part of the healing process."
In the past, these procedures were complex which would take longer and have an extended recovery time. Mr Michalakis explained it often involved plastic surgeons and taking tissue from other parts of the body.
Mr Michalakis explained the new technique: "The implant used to go under the muscle by cutting the muscle from the chest wall and put the implant between.
"From 2017, we started using the implant under the skin using a special mesh which goes over the implant and then fully sewn to the chest wall to keep it in place.
"Our team developed a technique. Instead of putting the implant in and then putting the mesh on top of the implant, we put the mesh around the implant first so they become one thing.
"Then we insert this in the pocket under the skin so we now put fewer anchor stitches around because it is now all one thing so it is faster and the implant is secured better."
Mr Michalakis has been doing breast reconstructions for the last six or seven years and has now used the new and improved technique more than 200 times, making him one of the leading surgeons in this procedure.
The newly-developed surgery takes less time, and has better cosmetic results as it involves less incisions and prevents complications. This means patients can now go home on the same day after having the procedure done.
Furthermore, surgeons can now do two cases a day, whereas they only used to operate once using the previous method so patients spend less time on waiting lists to receive the surgery for breast cancer.
Mr Michalakis spoke about the national rollout of the procedure saying: "It is almost ready, I hope within the next month we will see it in the public domain.
"The next step is we have proposals to accept other surgeons to come to Whitehaven Hospital and demonstrate the technique live."
The improved technique has been so successful that the team were asked to develop a training video so it can be shared internationally as best practice.
Mr Michalakis spoke about how proud he is of the pioneering team, saying: "I feel very proud that in this specific small area of the country we have managed to innovate and develop something that will help women all over the country and world to see better results and have less complications.
"We now have one of the best techniques on our doorsteps in Cumbria."
Mr Michalakis explained that this new development has not been only a benefit for patients receiving care for breast cancer, but also the wider hospital.
Surgeons from further away can see these new techniques being developed in west Cumbria and join the workforce with their specialities, bringing more ideas - and more innovation - to the area.
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