But fighting cancer is a team endeavor and in addition to the support she had from family and colleagues, Iwona knew she was in good hands with her team at Tufts Medical Center’s Breast Health Center.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment are inherently stressful, but Iwona never had to worry about her coordinating with her care team. “It was a truly patient-centered and collaborative effort,” says Iwona. “Everyone was on the same page and communicating regularly. I didn’t have to spend time scheduling appointments or scrambling for medication. My team was in constant contact with me and each other—regularly updating my PCP and providing care that was truly seamless.”
Iwona’s comprehensive team included clinicians from several specialties, including Sarah Persing, MD, MPH, who specializes in breast oncology, oncoplastic surgery, microsurgery and general plastic reconstructive surgeries. “There are so many decisions that need to be made throughout breast cancer treatment,” says Iwona. “Dr. Persing walked me through every option. She explained each procedure and treatment thoroughly and took my questions and concerns seriously.”
Iwona ultimately chose to have a mastectomy and although she knew she wanted some type of reconstruction, she did not want traditional saline or silicone breast implants. With this in mind, Dr. Persing performed what’s known as a “Goldilocks’ Mastectomy”, which uses redundant mastectomy flap tissue to construct a breast mound as part of the breast removal. Less than six months later, Dr. Persing and her colleague, plastic and reconstruction surgeon, Christopher Homsy, MD, performed a DIEP Flap procedure to complete the reconstruction. The DIEP Flap procedure uses skin and fat connected to a blood supply from a patient’s abdominal tissue to rebuild the breast.
Recovering from the procedure took Iwona less than four weeks and she is thrilled with the results: “Dr. Persing has the magic touch, she knows her craft and the results are first-class.”
