The London Breast Clinic
Breast Care Advice and Counselling
All our practice nurses have undergone specialist breast care training. To ensure continuity of care and a full understanding of your situation, they are available for pre and post operative information, advice and support, for both out-patients and in-patients on all aspects of breast care, including: general health; self examination; breast screening; breast reconstruction; breast prosthesis information and fitting; hormone replacement therapy, with reference to the breast.
Breast Screening and Assessment of Screening Abnormalities
Adhering to the high standards of the National Breast Screening Programme, our screening is tailored to each patients specific needs. A complete team with the necessary surgical, radiological and pathological expertise and equipment assesses all conditions. Breast screening incorporates clinical assessment and examination by an experienced Consultant Breast Surgeon, plus mammography, ultrasound imaging and MRI scanning , if indicated. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) or Core Biopsy, can also be undertaken by the consultant breast surgeon for assessment by breast specialist cytologists and histopathologists, who are members of the multi-disciplinary team. Localisation and surgical excision is also available if necessary.
Cosmetic Surgery
A complete range of cosmetic procedures includes mastopexy (breast uplifting), augmentation (enlargement), reduction, nipple reconstruction and correction of congenital deformities.
Familial Breast Cancer
Advice regarding genetic predisposition to breast malignancy and the appropriate investigations is available from a consultant geneticist with expertise in familial breast cancer.
Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC)
In this investigation a consultant breast surgeon a inserts a fine needle into the breast, to remove a small sample cells from the breast lump, for microscopic examination (cytology), to look for any signs of abnormality in the cells. It may be undertaken directly if there is a palpable lump or using ultrasound to guide the needle to the area of abnormality. To get enough material for examination under the microscope, the needle may need to be jiggled within the breast which may be slightly uncomfortable. The results are usually available with 24 hours and the consultant breast surgeon will then discuss the findings with you. The consultant may also drain fluid from cysts in this way.
Lump Assessment
The clinic is structured for the rapid assessment of lumps through the breast screening and assessment facilities outlined above.
Mastalgia (Breast Pain)
We have consultants with particular interest and expertise in mastalgia and its treatment.
Oncology
This comprises the treatment of tumours by clinical oncologists, using drugs, hormones and radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy
The use of high-energy x-ray beams to treat the breast tissue. It is undertaken at partner hospitals under the supervision of our clinical oncologists, usually after surgery.
Reconstructive Surgery
This is surgery to restore the shape of the breast following mastectomy, matching it to the remaining breast as closely as possible. This can be planned either as an immediate reconstruction, at the same time as the mastectomy operation, or undertaken at a later date.