At Home Christian Jessen 2014 - 186

The breast
care possible
Over the past decade, specialists have combined expertise in breast
surgery and breast plastic surgery to bring you results you deserve
Being a lead surgeon,
Mr Antony Pittathankal
(pictured, left) is highly
passionate about breast
services and research,
and is actively involved
in raising breast cancer
awareness; he has appeared on TV and
numerous community breast health and
breast cancer awareness programmes.

You will have
time to discuss
your concerns

He is the breast surgical representative for
'London Cancer', the organisation that covers
cancer treatment for over three million people
in north and north east London and west Essex.
He also trains junior surgeons in breast surgery,
breast plastic and reconstructive surgery, and has
private clinics in Brentwood, Romford and Ilford.
Mr Pittathankal has presented and published
widely including the breast cancer chapter in
the Oxford Handbook of Surgical Oncology.

A one-stop clinic

When seeking advice for a breast problem,
it is vital that you get the time and opportunity
to discuss your concerns and receive the best
medical attention. Mr Pittathankal sees over a
thousand patients with urgent breast problems
annually, and his breast clinic operates on a
'one-stop' principle. This means that, after clinical
examination, patients will be able to undergo
tests - such as mammograms and scans
- straightaway and receive results at a second
sitting with Mr Pittathankal soon after. This avoids
the anxiety of waiting days for various tests and
results. A small proportion of patients will require
a further visit if special tests are required. As a
patient, you will always receive enough time
afterwards to discuss any issues or concerns.
In addition, you will normally have met Mr
Pittathankal's breast care nurse, and will be able
to talk on the phone with her or meet up with her
afterwards. For cosmetic consultation, more time
is allocated at the ﬁrst visit or a second free of
charge consultation can be arranged.

Breast oncoplastic surgery

This is a relatively new specialty in the UK,
having emerged within the last 10 years.

'PROCEDURES ARE
PERFORMED TO
ACHIEVE THE BEST
COSMETIC RESULT'
Specialists have combined expertise in
breast surgery and breast plastic surgery.
Mr Pittathankal trained within the prestigious
National Oncoplastic Fellowship. He is
therefore able to offer advice and treatment
combining principles in both specialities.
This will help achieve both an oncologically
(cancer-wise) safe and aesthetic result.

Making the best start

Receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer can
be extremely distressing for anyone, and it is
therefore vital that the initial management
decisions made are the right ones for your
particular situation. Surgery is normally the ﬁrst
treatment. However, sometimes chemotherapy

followed by surgery may be the right choice
and can help avoid the need for a mastectomy.
This requires a multidisciplinary approach, with
the cancer surgeon being in close discussion
with oncologists and other specialists before
making the right choice. Mr Pittathankal follows
the multidisciplinary approach (he leads the
team) in order to bring you the best results.

The right cut

With his plastic surgery experience and
training, Mr Pittathankal will ensure that
procedures are performed to achieve the best
cosmetic results. Incisions are planned and
made following cosmetic principles even
for minor procedures. When lumps or tissue are
removed, special tissue mobilisation techniques
are used to minimise loss of volume or shape.

Multidisciplinary approach

The core multidisciplinary team consists
of surgeons, oncologists, pathologists,
radiologists and breast care nurses, while the
wider team involves anaesthetists, psychologists,
http://www.essexsurgeon.co.uk
At Home Christian Jessen 2014

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