The detection technique is incorporated into the Hellín Hospital
The Hellín Hospital has incorporated the technique of the ferromagnetic seed and the ferromagnetic tracer for the intraoperative detection of tumors and the sentinel node of the patients with breast cancer of this Integrated Care Management.
A benefit in which the General Surgery and Radiology services collaborate
This is a new service that improves care for patients undergoing surgery for breast disease. The insertion of ferromagnetic material has been shown to be an effective and efficient alternative to other basic procedures such as selective biopsy of the sentinel node with Technetium 99 and the removal of non-palpable lesions with a harpoon.
This advance in the comprehensive treatment of these patients is possible thanks to the collaboration between the General Surgery and Radiology services of the Hellín Integrated Care Management. A coordinated work that is already managing to avoid the movement of patients out of the Hellinero hospital.
And it is that until now, to start part of the interventional process of surgery in breast tumors, the patients had to be transferred to the reference hospital in Albacete for the placement of Technetium 99.
A seed of barely five millimeters
To carry out this procedure, the Radiology Service places the seed (just five millimeters in size) inside the nodule or in the affected axillary nodes. A great novelty of this technique is that the procedure can be performed a few days before the surgical intervention.
Previously, a harpoon was placed which is uncomfortable for the patient, with a greater risk of intraoperative mobilization. Now the patient is barely aware of her presence. Once this action is done, the surgeons intervene.
Avoid lymphadenectomy in many cases
The head of the General Surgery Service, Pilar Sagredo Rupérez, explained that “one of the main advantages of the ferromagnetic seed is that in cases where neoadjuvant treatment is to be given, the affected node can be marked and lymphadenectomy avoided in many cases”.
In this way it is not necessary to carry out lymph node dissection and also, due to the time in advance with which the seed is placed, health professionals have greater flexibility, autonomy and ease to carry out their task. And there is also progress in security.
In this sense, the service surgeon, Dr. Miguel Jurado Román, has commented that “with the ferromagnetic tracer, radiation is avoided for patients and staff, it allows us greater versatility because we do not depend so much on external services and by having a longer half-life, we have a certain elasticity in the management of these pathologies”.
Once the seed is placed, the use of a technological device that detects the magnetism of the metal allows surgeons to locate it and safely extract the tumor.
The ferromagnetic seed is also useful for monitoring chemotherapy treatments
“In addition, this seed can not only be used for pre-surgical procedures but also for follow-up in chemotherapy treatments where a reduction or disappearance of the nodule is seen”, commented the head of the Radiology Service of the Hellín Management, Fernando Cáceres.
With the introduction of this state-of-the-art technique, the Government of Castilla-La Mancha significantly improves the care offered to the patients of the Hellín Integrated Care Management, providing greater precision, reducing the sequelae of the intervention and reducing time recovery needed.
