Only in Canada eh? Reconstruction

Options
124»

Comments

  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited November 2011
    Breast trial seeks world stageJulia MedewApril 17, 2010MELBOURNE scientists are hoping a new stem cell therapy will help women regrow their breasts after cancer surgery, putting Australia on the innovation map.Doctors at the Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery will start trialling a new technique called Neopec in coming months.It uses a woman's own regenerative capacity to grow new fat tissue in her breasts.Advertisement: Story continues belowThe world-first trial will involve five women who have had tissue removed during surgery to remove cancer, and the first results are expected to be reported by the end of the year.Neopec involves implanting a breast-shaped biodegradable chamber into the chest before surgeons redirect blood vessels into the chamber with the patient's own fat cells. A gel is inserted to help the cells multiply over four to six months, and the chamber dissolves when the new breast is fully formed.Lead researcher Wayne Morrison said that after successfully trialling the procedure on pigs, he was about 50 per cent sure it would work in humans.''If it works it will be great, but we can't be sure that it will yet,'' Professor Morrison said.More than 5000 Australian women lose breast tissue due to cancer every year, and thousands more have cosmetic breast augmentation surgery.The new chief executive of the operation, Dr Peter Mountford, said if the trial was successful, by 2013 he would offer the procedure to women in Australia, Europe and south-east Asia who had had a partial mastectomy, defects of previous reconstructions or congenital deformities. The cosmetic market would come next.''By 2015, Neopec will be able to provide full breast reconstruction and by 2020, in conjunction with a global partner, it will provide a natural alternative to women within the burgeoning breast augmentation market,'' said Dr Mountford, who in 1994 co-founded Australia's first private stem cell research company, Stem Cell Sciences.He said the procedure would be marketed at a premium price to implants currently on the market because it would be safer and more natural than the insertion of foreign materials. Once perfected, it would also involve only one procedure and a shorter hospital stay than existing implantation methods.He also hoped the project, partly funded by the Victorian government, would help establish a new centre for excellence in Melbourne so Neopec was not swallowed up by foreign buyers but rather led to similar products in future.He said that after the disappointing performance of the Australian Stem Cell Centre in recent years - a government-funded project that failed to reach its commercial targets - he wanted to create a commercially viable group that would keep talented scientists and business people here.If Neopec is successful, he predicts it will return profits of up to $20 million by 2016, shoring up the company's future.Dr Mountford said that if Neopec worked, he was keen to explore the regeneration of bone for people next.

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/breast-trial-seeks-world-stage-20100416-sklg.html#ixzz1e6IeE0wF
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mina1
    Mina1 Member Posts: 50
    edited November 2011

    oliviafinne and others

    My % of recurrance is pretty high since there is nothing else but masectomy that can bring my % down 30-40% recurrance rate). The first time I had cancer my recurrance rate was brought down to 15% but I could not tolerate the tamoxifen so I was not able to reduce my risk and low and behold my cancer recurred. The reason my risk is high becaue each time i had 2 different cancers in the L breast. You are correct that there is a chance it will not recurr but the Dr's say it is very unlikely. They all agree ther is a good chance of recurrance the question which is hard is will it be curable cancer or not and will it have spread? I am just wanting to survive without a recurrance so i have a better reconstruction option however the Dr's think especially in the USA that it is way to risky to do so. I would have no problem to do masectomy if  I could get a new breast through fat grafting which If anyone knows when that would be in Canada?

    Mina

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Ammyjohn
    Ammyjohn Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2012

    I suggest you Cosmeticare

    liposuction before after photos

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PLJ
    PLJ Member Posts: 373
    edited November 2011

    hrf: Thank you for that article. This is so exciting!

    Here is the link to a very descriptive article on Cytori's fat grafting of stem cells (don't know why I thought is was Cellutions...too much researching).

    http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/10/ff_futureofbreasts

    Looking forward to more discussion.

    Cheers,

    PLJ

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited November 2011

    I think there is a lot more going on than just what Dr. Kouri is doing. If the Ontario docs are looking into those methods that go beyond Dr. K, then I'd be happy with that but would like to know what's going on, Knowledge is power and I think if we all get more knowledgeable, we will have options,

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mina1
    Mina1 Member Posts: 50
    edited November 2011

    Ladies

    The cytori option is only avaliable in Europe and Asia for lumpectomy reconstruction. The FDA will not approve system until 2-3 years from now. Awaiting results of clinical trials. Then clinical trials will start in the USA then Canada. It will come to Canada in the end. They have not even started trials on full breast reconstruction as of yet. Look up restore system in U.K. for lympectomy reconstruction. Dr Khouri's system seems is the only one avaliable now in the USA for full breast reconstruction. It is hard to get American Dr's on board so I would think in Canada it is harder. Any suggestions would be good to be ablee to do this. Canadian Dr's are all about evidence based medicine. Dr Khouris trails at best are emperical trials which not all american insurance companies cover his procedure since considered experimental. I think the research will be there in a few years.

    Mina

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PLJ
    PLJ Member Posts: 373
    edited November 2011

    Hi Mina,

    Yes, these breakthroughs will take some time to demonstrate safety and efficacy through clinical trial. However, the near future of breast reconstruction is amazing and better than ever before. While I will consult with Dr. Khouri, his procedure requires several surgeries, all under general anaesthetic and that concerns me a bit. I would much prefer one surgery to reconstruct using a different method...love the one hrf posted. Definitely one that I will be following! I am content to wait until I can have what I want but would like to help get the ball rolling in Canada so that these options will be available in a timely fashion.

    Cheers,

    PLJ

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited November 2011

    I thought the work in Australia is well into clinical trials and also in Europe and that is being done for full breast reconstruction. It's only the one surgery and by creating a blood flow to the stem cells, it's more likely to avoid the re-absorption or necrosis issues with Dr. K's method. I think that's the one to watch for and from what I read, it's closer to reality than the other methods. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PLJ
    PLJ Member Posts: 373
    edited November 2011

    Here is another useful link to more information regarding the recon that hrf has brought to the table. (Thanks again, hrf! This sounds like the winner in my books.)

    http://aaronstonemd-plasticsurgery.blogspot.com/2009/11/new-discovery-could-make-breast.html

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jparmentier
    jparmentier Member Posts: 6
    edited February 2012

     I am having a terrible time with information re: reconstructive surgery in Ontario. Initially when I got my tissue expander I was told both breasts would be covered for equalization purposes.Now I am being told absolutely not it will cost about $4,500 out of my own pocket ( which I do not have). Does anyone in the GTA know for a fact whether surgery on the unoperated contralateral breast for the purpose of symmetry is covered by OHIP? The original goal was implants for both when all was said and done.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited February 2012

    I was told it would all be covered by OHIP. Have you called the Ministry of Health?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Cat123
    Cat123 Member Posts: 296
    edited February 2012

    I have been told that everything is covered by OHIP,  I had a left mx with TE and now implant.  My PS will redo my implant or give me a breast lift so that everything matches.  I will also get my nip done.  I am in Toronto.  PM me if you want!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kyta
    Kyta Member Posts: 713
    edited February 2012

    I've never heard of someone being refused OHIP coverage on the 'good breast' for equalization reasons. I had a prophy mx on the good side and had TEs/implants on both.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited February 2012

    Is it possible this doctor is trying to make some extra money?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jparmentier
    jparmentier Member Posts: 6
    edited March 2012

     I need specific names. My GP is now concurring with my plastic surgeon saying no such thing as equalization surgery paid for by OHIP. Somebody Help!!!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited March 2012

    I think you should call the Ministry of Health directly. Don't expect that anyone else will check as thoroughly as you will.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crazy4carrots
    crazy4carrots Member Posts: 5,324
    edited March 2012
    I'm wondering if the difference is that jparmentier is requesting implants in both breasts, even though only one actually requires an implant to replace tissue no longer there.  The Ontario Ministry of Health will cover an implant on the mastectomy side, as well as cosmetic surgery on the opposite breast to try to make them look equal (to fix the droopy breast, for example).  Apparently it will now also cover nipple tatoo on the mast side.  However, I'm thinking that an implant on the opposite breast may be out of bounds.  It may be that the Ministry believes that the patient is using her bc as an excuse to enhance the size of her bosomsUndecided.
     
    Checking the government website was absolutely no help at all!  Calling the Ministry directly will, hopefully, provide the answer for you. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited March 2012

    i have a friend right now who is getting DIEP on the prophy side to match the DIEP she is getting on the bc side. What's the difference. I attended several seminars at 3 different hospitals with bc recon surgeons and they all said the unaffected side will also be covered if the woman chooses to do it. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crazy4carrots
    crazy4carrots Member Posts: 5,324
    edited March 2012

    Well, I agree that both sides deserve to be covered whatever the type of surgery. I was only offering a "possibility" as to why the government might not cover an implant on the non-mast side.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories