‘Seek medical care from qualified surgeons for plastic surgery’

A Plastic Surgeon at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital’s (KBTH) Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, Dr Kwame Darko, has advised people in need of plastic surgery to seek medical care from only qualified surgeons to avoid complications that could sometimes lead to death.

He also advised women not to allow the fear of loosing their breasts after treatment deter them from seeking early treatment for breast cancer.

He said Ghana now had qualified doctors who had the expertise in breast reconstruction, stressing that such surgeries were done expertly to give the patient a normal look.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic at the Breast Cancer Information Day in Accra, Dr Darko said the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) had successfully performed 25 breast reconstruction surgeries this year.

He said Ghana, currently, had 15 trained plastic surgeons who were qualified to perform surgeries, indicating that six out of the number were, currently, working at the KBTH, while the rest were at the 37 Military Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and other regional hospitals in the country.

The Cancer Information Day organised by the KBTH, was organised to commemorate the World Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is observed annually in October.

Treatment periods

A General Surgeon at the KBTH, Dr Josephine Nsaful, explained that the treatment of cancer with chemotherapy lasted three months, while Radiotherapy treatment lasted one month.

She said Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy were the best treatment for breast cancer, pointing out that although the treatment was expensive, the National Health Insurance Scheme bore part of the cost, which made it easier for patients to cope with the cost of treatment.

She said more than 90 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer at the earliest stage survived the disease, stressing that patients with breast cancer receives different forms of treatment.

She said a patient with stage four breast cancer would not have the same treatment as someone with stage one and zero, “that is why we advise people to seek early treatment”.

Breast Cancer

An Oncologist at the KBTH, Dr Naa A Aryeetey, said breast cancer mostly did not come with any pain but once a woman or man detected any abnormality in the breast area, the person should report to the hospital immediately.

She said it was also important for women, especially those above 35 years, to check their breasts, by undergoing ultrasound and mammogram tests.