​Aobakwe Selebogo

"It is the first time that our hospital performs a surgery of this magnitude.  We usually transfer patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer and need this type of surgery to Steve Biko Academic Hospital." 
These were the words of Mamelodi Regional Hospital CEO Dr Naing Soe, after a team of surgeons successfully performed a lumpectomy and breast reconstruction surgery, which was the first ever done at the Pretoria east hospital.  
The three-hour long surgery was performed on a 29-year-old woman diagnosed with malignant phyloides tumour of the breast. 
The operation was led by the hospital's surgeon Dr Thabiso Malefahlo and Steve Biko Academic Hospital plastic surgeon Dr Edward Ngwenya.
Dr Malefahlo explained the lumpectomy surgery as a breast-conserving procedure where only the portion of the breast containing the cancer and a margin of surrounding tissue is removed.
This procedure is followed by breast reconstruction surgery to correct deformities.
"This is a world standard way of treating this tumour.  Because the breast is precious to women, post the procedure, they are cancer free but some suffer mentally as they deal with the loss of a breast," said Dr Malefahlo," 
Mamelodi Regional Hospital CEO Dr Naing Soe beaming with pride, congratulated the team of surgeons for the successful surgery.
"With the surgery backlog at Steve Biko due to COVID-19 and other factors, we had to perform the surgery. It is commendable that the team was able to execute this much-needed procedure especially during the current pressures that our healthcare system has been experiencing" said Dr Soe​