Indexing Title: RJOSON's Medical Anecdotal Report [04-07]

MAR Title: Unnecessary Breast Excisions

Date of Medical Observation: October 30, 2004

Narration:

C.I., a 56-year-old female came for a regular follow-up or check-up for her breast concerns.  She has been following up with me since 1995 for her macrocysts.  Before she first consulted me in 1995, she was operated thrice by another surgeon, in 1987, 1993, and 1994.  Since 1995 up to the 2002 (7 years), I have been aspirating her recurring multiple macrocyts on her two breasts at an average of twice a year.  From 2002 to 2004, the recurrences have stopped.  The scars on her breasts have, thus, been limited to 3.

After I saw C.I, my next patient was M.R., a 49-year-old female who came to consult me  for the first time regarding her breast pain and ultrasound findings of multiple solid nodules. What struck me right away when I started examining her were the multiple scars on her two breasts, eight all in all, six on the right and two on the left, mostly radial scars.  I was told that all the previous biopsies showed fibrocystic changes.  My diagnosis for her was fibrocystic changes with an advice just to monitor without the need for another operation.

Insights (Discovery, Stimulus, Reinforcement) (Physical, Psychosocial, Ethical)

There are still a lot of unnecessary breast excisions going on which I strongly believe should be stopped.  C.I. could have suffered the same fate as M.R. had she gone to see me in 1995.  I pity M.R. OMMC Surgery has published a paper on this issue in the Philippine Journal of Surgical Specialties this year in the July to September issue.  OMMC Surgery will take the lead in controlling these unnecessary breast operations.