Kolkata: The state-owned SSKM Hospital became the first hospital in South Asia to use the matrix to treat breast cancer. This was made possible by Dr. Diptendra Sarkar. The Matrix was brought from England to India for the surgery.
After both breasts are removed, the matrix is used to create artificial breasts. That medical procedure was not approved in India till now. Recently, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given clearance to use the matrix to give women with breast cancer a new lease of life.
A 37-year-old Kolkata resident was diagnosed with a tumor in her right breast, said Dr. Sarkar. He also said that examination showed that the tumor was active and she was then diagnosed with breast cancer. The woman urged doctors to cut off her two breasts. "In this situation, her BRCA test — the cancer gene test — showed that she got cancer due to genetic reasons," he added. As a result, doctors decided to remove the patient's two breasts and the uterus and fallopian tubes.
Dr. Sarkar said that several days before the surgery, the Drug Controller General of India approved the use of Matrix, whose scientific name is the cellular dermal matrix. He then brought the matrix to SSKM Hospital in West Bengal with the help of a friend in Britain.
“With the help of the matrix, the artificial breast implant is wrapped like a sheet. The skeleton is placed in a pocket under the skin of the breast. After that, the breasts begin to regenerate over time. This procedure reduces the chances of breast cancer relapse by 95 percent,” said Dr. Sarkar.
