Consultant Surgeons: Anita Hazari and Martin Jones
At 26, Vikki was diagnosed with DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ). Having seen other family members battling cancer Vikki made the brave decision to undergo a bilateral mastectomy.
At the time she chose not to have immediate reconstructive surgery because the only option available to her then was to use the muscle and tissue from her back along with artificial implants. Sport and physical activity were important so she did not want to risk losing any muscular strength in her upper body. Being a confident person Vikki chose to live with a prosthesis instead.
Four years down the line however, Vikki realised that it actually presented her with more problems than anticipated during sports etc and by chance heard of reconstruction using your own tissue from your thigh.
In September 2010 Anita Hazari and Martin Jones performed the surgery at McIndoe Surgical Centre and within a couple of days of surgery she put on a bra. “I can’t explain how amazed and happy I felt. You would not have known that they weren’t my original breasts. Six days later I was discharged from hospital with a pair of beautiful breasts that looked and felt natural.”
Read more about T.U.G reconstruction, which Vikki underwent, here
Consultant Surgeon: Peter Arnstein
Nanette was approached by Channel 4 after sharing her breast surgery story on forums on the internet, to feature on a new programme called The Ugly Face of Beauty, telling the story of women who have had suffered awful cosmetic surgery experiences.
Nanette had implants after breast reconstruction in 1978 and required further surgery simply because the implants needed replacing. In 2007 she visited a clinic in Belgium for removal of the old implants, a breast reduction and insertion of some new implants. Unfortunately her treatment here fell far short of the level of care that was needed and Nanette was subjected to an awful ordeal.
She awoke during surgery – as the clinic had used a deep sedation instead of a general anaesthetic – and was discharged to a hotel just two hours after surgery, still bleeding heavily, and not admitted as an in-patient for the night as she had expected. Her torment was worsened as the following day the left breast opened up to expose the implant. Returning to the clinic she was re-stitched and sent away.
Two weeks later, back in England, Nanette’s breast re-opened again and became infected. The NHS in Isle of Man where Nanette lives tried to help her with antibiotics but finally told her to return to the clinic in Belgium for revision of the surgery. Fearful of the outcome, Nanette returned to Belgium.
The surgeon simply pulled her implant out right in front of her, leaving Nanette in pain and in shock. The other implant was removed the next day; Nanette was left with empty breasts which made her feel extremely depressed and angry about her situation.
Then in 2009 Channel 4 and McIndoe Surgical Centre came to her rescue, and offered to help correct her “surgery gone wrong”, for their new show The Ugly Face of Beauty.
Nanette travelled to East Grinstead and met with her surgeon, Mr Peter Arnstein, who talked extensively with her about the results she could expect with her revision surgery and finally, after months of living with the regret of the surgery abroad, Mr Arnstein corrected her breasts and gave her new implants, in the right place.
Nanette is now over the moon with her new shape and thankful her surgery could be corrected, after all she had been through.
Read more on our McIndoe Surgical Blog and www.breastcancercare.org.uk.
Breast Surgery · McIndoe Surgical Centre