Page 12 - Essentia Vol 5 Issue 1

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A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION

Plastic Surgeon’s
Role in

Oncology Dr Tushar Dutta

Consultant, Oncoplastic Surgeon
Services State Cancer Institute, Guwahati

he role of plastic and reconstructive surgery surgery, followed where indicated by adjuvant
in oncology is often misunderstood. For many radiation or systemic therapy. In this chain of care,
Tpeople, plastic surgery still means cosmetic plastic surgeons do more than restore removed
surgery. In reality, cosmetic work is only a small tissue. They help wounds heal better and faster,
part of a much wider problem-solving speciality. making it possible for patients to begin the next
The scope of plastic surgery extends from hand stage of treatment on time.
surgery, diabetic foot care, cleft and craniofacial Reconstructive surgery is therefore not an
surgery, burns and maxillofacial trauma to onco- afterthought in oncology. It is an essential part
reconstruction, lymphoedema management and of treatment that supports survival, function and
other evolving areas of care. The older idea that quality of life. A cancer diagnosis naturally triggers
plastic surgeons operate from “head to toe” has, in fear and a strong desire to remove the tumour
practice, expanded to “hair to nail”. as quickly as possible. Earlier, when cancer was

This distinction becomes especially important viewed almost as a death sentence, surgery often
in the Northeast, where the cancer burden is focused only on removing disease, with limited
considerable, particularly in head and neck attention to the disfigurement or disability that
malignancies. Cancers of the breast, soft tissue, followed. Many patients were left unable to speak,
limbs and trunk are also being seen with increasing swallow, walk comfortably or appear in public
frequency. Treatment often involves ablative without distress.

Before reconstructive surgery

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