Husband and wife breast cancer surgeons tell of hero patients helping health service to continue treating breast cancer during coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Lucy Khan and Mr Chris Cartlidge, husband and wife consultant cancer and cosmetic breast surgeons of breast-surgeon.co.uk told of the enormous sacrifices being made by patients to allow them to continue diagnosing and treating breast cancer during the Covid-19 pandemic. They both work as NHS consultant surgeons and in the private sector, living in Edinburgh and working across central Scotland.

Lucy said, “Under normal circumstances, we are able to provide breast cancer reconstruction to patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer.” She continued “This allows women to not just survive their cancer, but also to feel satisfied with the way they look and feel about their body after treatment. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that there is less capacity to undertake surgery, as theatres have been converted to pandemic wards and operating teams have been re-deployed to help severely unwell coronavirus patients. Across the UK, the NHS has set up cancer hubs to enable us to continue to treat breast cancer, but one consequence of the more restricted capacity has been that women can not so easily access breast reconstruction surgery.”

Chris explained, “We want to encourage women to seek medical advice if they notice a new breast lump or other worrying symptom, and to reassure them that breast cancer diagnosis is available as normal during this difficult period. To be able to keep operating on urgent breast cancer cases, we have had to delay the complex and longer reconstructive operations that we normally do to help recovery from cancer. These procedures will be possible at a later stage, and we are in awe of the way women have supported the NHS with their understanding of the situation.”

Lucy went on, “I recently had to telephone a young lady who had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction for her breast cancer gene which we had been planning for many months. Unfortunately, we are delaying these risk-reducing procedures while we concentrate on active cancer treatment. She was so understanding- saying she was happy to wait until we were ready again. Her and the many patients like her are true heroes.”

In addition, both consultants are specialists in cosmetic breast surgery. Chris said, “Breast plastic surgery is almost always undertaken in the private sector, and this is considered routine surgery which can wait until after the pandemic. Private hospitals have been helping the NHS to keep going with our urgent cancer surgery, so obviously no cosmetic surgery is happening during lockdown.”

Lucy, who specialises in breast reduction and enlargement, continued, “People immediately think of breast implants, but actually one of the most common private surgeries I do is breast reduction. This can be a huge help for women who suffer with excessively large breasts, the symptoms of which include shoulder, back and neck pain. Every one of these ladies who has had their surgery delayed has told me that they are happy to wait until the health service is able to cope again.”

Chris and Lucy agreed, “When we are outside clapping for carers on Thursdays, we are both also thinking about our heroic patients, putting their lives on hold whilst we all protect the NHS and save lives.”

To find out more, visit: https://breast-surgeon.co.uk/