Mumbai's Tata Hospital Innovates Quick Breast Reconstruction Surgery
- Tata Memorial Centre performed a whole breast reconstruction using Braxton biological mesh on September 10, 2023.
- This new procedure is less painful, quicker, and eliminates the need for tissue from the patient's body, reducing recovery time significantly.
- The innovation represents a major advancement in breast cancer treatment, offering comparable results to traditional methods.
On September 10, 2023, Tata Memorial Centre's Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) in Navi Mumbai successfully performed a whole breast reconstruction using a biological mesh known as Braxton. This innovative procedure, led by senior surgical oncologist Dr. Amar Deshpande and his team, marks a significant advancement in breast cancer treatment, as it offers a less painful and quicker alternative to traditional reconstruction methods. The traditional approach often involves using the patient's own tissue, which can lead to complications such as pain, infection, and scarring at the donor site. These conventional surgeries typically take 5-6 hours and require a recovery period of 6-8 weeks. In contrast, the new method using Braxton mesh reduces the surgery time to approximately 2-3 hours and shortens recovery to about 3-4 weeks. The ACTREC breast unit, which treats around 5,000 breast cancer cases annually, has been at the forefront of adopting modern surgical techniques that prioritize both cancer removal and aesthetic outcomes. The use of Braxton mesh not only minimizes discomfort but also eliminates risks associated with harvesting tissue from other body parts. Dr. Deshpande emphasized that the results of this new procedure are comparable to traditional methods, and the costs remain similar. This innovation represents a promising step forward in enhancing the quality of life for breast cancer patients, making recovery more manageable and less traumatic.