A magnetic device the size of a grain of rice is helping to ease the discomfort of Redlands Coast women undergoing breast cancer surgery.
Redland Hospital successfully trialled the use of the established Magseed/SentiMag technology as a pre-surgical procedure in October 2022 and now uses the technology to locate cancer for removal as well as identify lymph nodes for cancer treatment.
Director Surgical Services Dr Prath Nakka said Magseed eliminated the need for patients to spend a day in hospital having a hookwire inserted which in turn reduced stress, anxiety and discomfort for patients prior to surgery.
“In some women who have chemotherapy before surgery, using Magseed eliminates multiple procedures prior to surgery,” she said.
“Magtrace is a magnetic dye that is injected to locate lymph nodes and it can be injected while the patient is asleep or in the clinic rather than hours prior to surgery, again improving patient comfort and experience.”
Dr Nakka said the hospital was the first in South-East Queensland to use the technology, that had provided promising results throughout the trial. A similar trial was also successfully conducted at QEII Hospital this year.
She said the Magseed device was around 5mm in size and helped surgeons locate small cancers that were hard to feel or see, improving the accuracy and efficiency of lumpectomies and assisting in a patient’s recovery.
“Magseed can be inserted any time prior to surgery by the radiologist which means patients don’t have to wait all morning prior to a two-hour operation in the afternoon,” Dr Nakka said.
“This also allows the theatre time to be utilised more efficiently and their operation can be scheduled independent of the radiology services.
Dr Nakka said with two breast surgeons, two breast care nurses and teams of radiologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, Redland Hospital treated and provided surgical care to 155 women last financial year.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said this was an extraordinary piece of technology and a wonderful example of the amazing work being done every day at Redland Hospital to improve care for Redlands Coast women living with breast cancer.
“I’m so proud of clinicians like Dr Nakka who are pioneering the use of technology like Magseed which in some cases reduces the number of procedures required to treat women with breast cancer. A treatment that reduces the stress and anxiety of patients who have already been confronted with a breast cancer diagnosis can make a huge difference to someone’s journey,” she said.
Redland Hospital is now able offer local women with benign breast disease and breast cancer such comprehensive surgical care including complex oncoplastic surgery which reduces the need for mastectomies.
The comprehensive and expanding breast care service at Redland Hospital also means women can benefit from the option of implant-based reconstruction after a mastectomy.
Redland Hospital maintains very close relationships with oncology teams at the Princess Alexandra and Mater hospitals for patients requiring radiation and chemotherapy and of course chemotherapy is now available at the new Redlands Satellite Hospital as well. Patients can also access clinical trials available at other hospitals.
Birkdale’s Carol Hibbet, 70, (pictured) said she was impressed with the service and that receiving care close to home at Redland Hospital had been less stressful.
“They have been amazing,” she said. “It is really outstanding.
“Coming from South South Africa, even private care is not as good as the public system here.”
Mt Cotton’s Sandra Smith, 74, was one of the first to receive the Magseed device prior to breast surgery at Redland Hospital and was pleased with the less invasive procedure.
“The Magseed was done a week beforehand, they just gave me a needle, numbed it and there was no discomfort,” she said.
“I was quite surprised. I’d never heard about until Dr Nakka told me and she explained how quickly it’s done and after my experience, I’d highly recommend it for anyone.”
Leonie Cortesi, 72, from Alexandra Hills had a similar experience with the Magseed insertion and said with the support of Dr Nakka and McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurse Sue Black, she was calm and comfortable heading into surgery.
“With all my pre-operation appointments with Sue and Dr Nakka, they explained everything if not once, then twice, so I understood everything that was going to be happening,” she said.
“They explained the differences with a hookwire and Magseed but I was happy with the recommendation to use Magseed and had no problem with it. It just went so perfectly.”