“You have breast cancer.” These words are about the scariest things a woman will ever hear. Worries of survival and overall health flood the mind, and removal of the cancer takes front and center importance. The emotional impact lingers with the cosmetic scars caused from surgery, and serve as a daily reminder of the disease. This can affect many aspects of a woman’s post-surgical life, including self-image and intimacy.
Thankfully, with today’s latest surgical techniques such as Savi Scout® and Hidden Scar™, resuming life after cancer has become easier without the daily reminders. Troy Shell, M.D, Fellowship trained at Emory University Hospital, Breast Surgeon at Physicians Regional Medical Group, has found great success in using these procedures for her patients with breast cancer. “Patients don’t want to be reminded of their breast cancer when they look in the mirror or go to the beach. If a smaller, more hidden scar helps achieve that, I am happy to do it.”
The Savi Scout® radar localization system was developed to make breast cancer surgery easier and more efficient. It is a breast localization and surgical guidance system that uses non-radioactive, micro-impulse radar technology to target non-palpable breast lesions where the need for wires is eliminated. Wires are substituted by an implantable radar deflector that precisely localizes the tumor and can be inserted 30 days prior to surgery, thus reducing the potential of surgical delays and optimizing surgical planning. “Not only is there a profound benefit to the patient, but radar localization allows surgeons to be much more precise,” says Dr. Shell. “This precision makes me more successful in removing the cancer or benign lump, and promotes a better cosmetic outcome when there is less tissue to be excised.” Savi Scout® is on the list for FDA approval at the time of biopsy. It is important to note that not all patients are candidates for radar localization. Candidacy is influenced by the density of a patient’s breasts and whether or not multiple lesions are targeted.
Hidden Scar™ breast cancer surgery is a breakthrough treatment which minimizes visible scarring and upholds the shape and appearance of the breasts. This method can be used to hide a scar (either in lumpectomies or nipple-sparing mastectomies) in one of the natural folds of the breast or along the areolar border. “I try to use Hidden Scar as often as possible, which amounts to about 90% of my lumpectomies and a little less than half of my mastectomy patients that are getting immediate breast reconstruction,” says Dr. Shell. Not all patients that need a mastectomy (removal of the breast) are candidates for nipple preservation, but in cases when the nipple can be spared, the incision is placed either along the inframammary fold, or placed along a portion of the nipple areolar complex that “hides” the scar. The incision is smaller than they would otherwise be thanks to the use of a newer type of lighted retractor. The retractor comes in a variety of sizes, but placement of this type of retractor brightens up the surgical field like never before, allowing a smaller space inside the breast to be operated on.
Patients who have received Savi Scout® and Hidden Scar ™ surgery at Physicians Regional have reported great overall satisfaction, exceeding expectations. Dr. Shell happily commented, “My patients have been so happy with the results that they brag and show-off their scars to their girlfriends.”
Dr. Shell’s office is located in the Medical office Building (MOB) at Physicians Regional–Collier Blvd, 8340 Collier Boulevard, Suite 203, Naples.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call (239) 348-4221, or visit PhysiciansRegionalMedicalGroup.com.