Al Ain: Tawam Hospital is now performing breast reconstruction with microsurgery techniques for patients who have had a mastectomy.
It is the only centre in the UAE, and one of the few in the region, that uses free flap, or excess tissue from another region of the body that can be transplanted, to reconstruct breasts.
Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Seha Healthcare System, successfully performed breast reconstruction surgery for the first time in June 2015.
Dr Ammar Al Dhamin, who led the plastic surgery team, removed the fat and skin from the patient’s own abdomen to create natural breasts. He plans to extend this service to assist breast cancer patients.
“There is a high prevalence of breast cancer in the UAE and the number is on the rise. For that reason, the surgeons at Tawam Hospital are constantly learning new procedures to help patients at different stages of their therapy with a variety of concerns,” said Dr Mohammad Al Bashir, Director of Breast Cancer Care.
Though this is the most complicated and time-consuming procedure available today, this surgery provides an alternative for patients who are not suitable for breast prosthetic implants or have had other issues after radiotherapy. For cosmetic purposes, patients can also enjoy the complementary benefit of a flatter abdomen, since fat is removed from that area and mimics a tummy tuck.
“After overcoming the traumatic process of chemotherapy or radiation, this surgery improves patients’ relationships with their body image by constructing natural breasts that help them transition back into their lives before cancer,” explained Dr Al Dhamin.
Dr Shaikha Maayouf Al Ameri, Tawam Hospital chief medical officer, said, “As part of our strategy to provide integrated high-quality and patient- centred services, improve access to health-care services and deliver outstanding services aligned with the expectations of the patients to achieve the highest standards in world-class clinical quality and patient safety, Tawam keeps raising the bar for health care in the UAE and the region with innovative techniques and dedicated staff members who consistently push themselves to give their patients a better lifestyle.”
