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New breast cancer surgery option comes to Rochester Regional Health

rochesterregional.org

Rochester Regional Health is the first health organization in Western New York to be certified in a new breast cancer surgery.

The Hidden Scar technique is a new option that removes cancerous tissue through a single incision in a discreet location, resulting in a hidden scar.

The method uses advanced photonics to illuminate a path to the tumor.

Lori Medeiros is the Director of the Rochester Regional Health Breast Center, and says more women with breast cancer are surviving due to more advanced screenings, and minimizing scarring helps the emotional healing after the experience.

"10, 15 years down the road you know, you still have women who have had surgery that was disfiguring that will say I just don't look at myself in the mirror anymore. So the idea with this is by hiding these scars or combining them with other plastic surgery techniques, we can offer women a better cosmetic outcome and a better quality of life down the road."

Incisions for the Hidden Scar surgery can be made under the breast, easily hidden by an underwire bra, or through an armpit.

Medeiros says the surgery isn’t for all breast cancer patients, but believes it will become more popular for those undergoing lumpectomies.

She says the surgery preserves the natural appearance of the breast, so patients will see little change in size and shape of their breasts once healed after surgery.