“The work we do is patient-focused. It gives us a real sense of the difference our work can make. That is both humbling and gratifying. We never lose sight of the fact that what we do is just a piece of the puzzle. The cancer surgeons do the work to make these patients well again and then we come in to do our part. It’s a team effort that changes lives for the better and we’re proud to help along the way.” –Dr. Somogyi
Breast Reconstruction is Completely Covered Under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan in Canada
Breast Cancer Diagnosis Comes with the Choice to Reconstruct
Breast reconstruction is an elective surgery that involves recreating a breast which has been removed in part (lumpectomy) or in its entirety (mastectomy). This is usually secondary to treatment of cancer or prophylactic removal of the breast for patients who are at high risk of developing breast cancer (strong family history or BRCA gene mutation). Breast reconstruction can be done immediately at the time of mastectomy or in a delayed fashion, months to years later. Many options are available and include the use of breast implants, the patient’s own tissues or combinations of both.
The Canadian Cancer Society explains that “Breast reconstruction is surgery to make the breast look and feel as natural as possible after all or part of it has been removed. It is done by a plastic surgeon who is specially trained to do this surgery.” For North York General Hospital (NYGH) plastic surgeons Dr. Ron Somogyi and Dr. Waqqas Jalil, working with breast cancer patients during their cancer journey is part of what they do, offering healing and hope for women impacted by the disease.
Why Do Patients Opt For Breast Reconstruction Surgery Post Mastectomy/Lumpectomy
The decision to have breast reconstruction is a very personal one. It is made before surgery after consultation with a cancer surgeon and a plastic surgeon. Some women choose to have reconstruction because they think that it will make them feel more comfortable, confident and like themselves before they had a mastectomy. Some women have this surgery because they don’t want to use an external breast prosthesis.
Breast reconstruction is completely covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). This includes any balancing procedures or revision surgery in the future.
Choosing A Plastic Surgeon For Breast Reconstruction
Doctors Waqqas Jalil and Ron Somogyi of FORM Face+Body are highly trained and experienced reconstructive surgeons who are an integral part of the surgical team at North York General Hospital. Both Doctors work intimately with the cancer team at NYGH to ensure that options for reconstruction are considered from the very beginning of the breast cancer journey. Most patients are offered reconstruction that can be performed at the time of their breast cancer surgery. This has tremendous psychological and physical benefits. In these cases, Dr. Somogyi and Dr. Jalil plan and execute the surgery together with the surgical oncologists. Once the mastectomy or lumpectomy has been performed, breast implants or the patient’s own tissues can be used for reconstruction. Depending on the complexity, surgeries can take up to 10 hours, but the rewards are everlasting.
Dr. Somogyi and Dr. Jalil value their work in restoring resilience and self esteem, and why in 2022, as part of the Reconstruct Hope campaign, they donated $100,000 to North York General Hospital to further breast reconstruction research.
ABOUT
FORM Face + Body offers Cosmetic Surgeries, Reconstructive Surgeries, and Advanced Aesthetics, including Rhinoplasty, Breast Augmentation, Abdominoplasty, Body Contouring, and non-surgical treatments such as Dermal Fillers, skin rejuvenation and Microneedling. The Toronto-based practice includes procedures that can be both invasive and non-invasive. The clinic offers complete non-surgical aesthetics – such as injectables, complexion treatments and skincare – when in regular operation.
For more information contatct FORM Face + Body.
