‘Dar Al Shifa’ provides a range of special tests at reduced cost
Hospital launches Breast Cancer awareness campaign
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: Dar Al Shifa Hospital has launched its annual Breast Cancer awareness campaign throughout October as part of its ongoing successful disease prevention measures. Therefore; the hospital had engaged its medical team and consultants and improved the accessibility to the most precise diagnostic tests in order to ensure optimal levels of women healthcare.
The tests included throughout October women health campaign are Breast Ultrasound, Breast MRI, Mammography and even Bone densitometry (DEXA) at the Diagnostic Imaging Center, as well as additional discounts on Tumor Markers in the medical laboratory, Cervical Pap Smear at Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. Early Detection Saves Your Life In this context, Dr Salam Radhi, Radiology Registrar at the Diagnostic Imaging Center at Dar Al Shifa Hospital, said: “It is essential to diagnose breast cancer in its early stages, to identify its symptoms and to understand its treatment methods. Thus, new technology has been developed to provide a comprehensive and accurate diagnosis of breast cancer.”
“Besides the self-examination that every woman must perform monthly, there are many tests a woman must undergo any of them periodically as part of caring for her health. Breast Ultrasound is one of such tests, which considered the best especially with women whose breasts are more solid and dense, and are young. Moreover, Mammography testing is an urgent necessity for a woman over or before the age of 40 if any of their close relatives has had a breast cancer or has had one or some factors that might make her vulnerable to the disease. Finally breast MRI, which is more accurate than Mammography and Ultrasound” she added.
Surgical options to remove breast tumors
On the other hand, Dr Yousef Akkash, General Surgery Specialist at Dar Al Shifa Hospital, said that the surgical treatment of cancer is the first treatment step in most cases of breast cancer. Such treatment aims to remove the entire tumor from the breast, so that there are only scattered cells remaining from the tumor that are invisible to the naked eye, and can be treated by other remedies.
“The doctor usually prefers the surgical removal of cancer when indications are that such method is expected to make the patient gets rid of the entire or big part of the cancer, and the tumor has not moved to the distant organs. In this respect, there are many surgeries to remove cancerous breast tumor. The type and size of the surgery is determined after diagnosis the cancerous lesion, its evolution stage, extent of its spread, and the degree of patient acceptance of its results. All this after discussing options available with the infected patient. These operations include the resection of the tumor itself with some breast tissue around it and removal of lymph nodes under armpit to maintain the breast as much as possible. The complete mastectomy with resection of lymph nodes under the armpit and it is resorted to this operation if the tumor is large and the doctor usually recommended radiotherapy to get rid of any cancer cells. In addition, there are the entire mastectomies or partial resection of tumor without removal of lymph nodes. Finally there is total mastectomy with skin retention or keeping of the nipple,” he added
Breast Reconstruction is a chance for a new beginning
Regarding reconstructive surgeries after resection of breast cancer, Dr Ismail Nada, Consultant and Head of Plastic Surgery Department at Dar Al Shifa Hospital, commented: “Due to the high prevalence of breast cancer among women, especially among young girls, unique treatment methods have been developed to allow the disease to be treated better and more properly. Thus, Breast Implant after mastectomy is one of the most common therapies within the existing treatments and gives a chance for a new beginning.”
He also added: “Breast Reconstruction can be conducted after or at the time of resection as it has many positive effects, such as better aesthetic results, and naturally a better psychological effect taking into consideration that the reconstruction date shall be depended mainly on the women position, because there are cases where reconstruction operation immediately shall not be possible at all, such as cases where glands are infected in different areas like under the armpits, for example, and there is a need to complete treatment with radiotherapy.”
In this context, there are different ways to reconstruct the breast after resection, depending on the surgeon himself, but at the same time on the woman, who goes into surgery, taking into account her age, structure of her body, size of her breasts, and her wishes for the reconstruction itself. From such methods, using tissue existing and reconstructing the breast by silicone implants.
Preparing the patient for surgery is one of the most significant roles
It should be noted that Anesthesia Department at Dar Al Shifa Hospital offers a wide range of distinguished services around the clock under the supervision of a selection of high qualified and experienced doctors, who benefit from the latest technology in accordance with the best adopted standards globally, in order to support surgeons in achieving the best satisfied results for the patients without pains.
In the same context, Dr Tarek Al Menesy, Consultant and Head of Anesthesia Department at Dar Al Shifa Hospital, indicated that one of the most important services provided by department of anesthesiology is Pre-Anesthesia Unit (PAU) which has dramatically optimized the patients’ experience undergoing planned anesthesia. A comprehensive assessment and evaluation of patients prior to anesthesia is vital to identify if the patient’s health condition fits for anesthesia or not and at the same time gives the patients the opportunity to clarify concerns related to both anesthesia and surgery”.