A transformative one-stop center for breast cancer screening and care

“The moment that made me decide to become a doctor, is a very distinct and single point in my life. It was the day my mom passed away. There was an inclination in me that said, 'you have to become a doctor.' Every time I wonder why I am in this profession, that moment makes me remember why I do it. It is really the driving force for me.

Many patients have shared with me that their clinical journeys had often made them (and their family) feel anxious and stressed, from diagnosis to treatment. Upon hearing that, I took a step back to look at the entire clinical experience from a patient’s perspective. I started to notice that clinics are often designed around the doctors’ schedules and preferences, which is comfortable for us, but not necessarily ideal for our patients.

Here at FeM Surgery’s Breast Center, I have redesigned and transformed the delivery of care. We begin by creating an environment where patients would feel safe, protected and willing to seek the appropriate treatment for their condition. Embracing the concept of a one-stop care center, our patients are now able to have a consultation with me, have their mammogram done and reported within minutes, perform a biopsy or even undergo day surgery where necessary and receive their diagnosis, all in the same day. This all-in-one-day solution enhances the quality of patient care by reducing a substantial amount of waiting time, and hence anxiety; at the same time, we manage the clinic’s workflow more effectively.

For us breast surgeons, it is important to know when a lump should be removed or when it is safe to just monitor it. Ultrasound helps me to affirm my judgment to move forward with the best patient management. It acts as my eyes into the human body, allowing me to see everything that is going on inside my patient.

For every patient who enters the clinic, I would do my own ultrasound scan. Not only will I perform the scans for my routine breast patients, but also for my general patients who have lumps and bumps, hernias, thyroid nodules and gallstones. At our clinic, we use the Lumify L12-4 linear transducer, during screening, diagnosis, biopsies and even during minor surgeries. Because of Lumify’s true portability, it has been so convenient to bring it into all of our operating theatres. You just sling the Lumify bag, walk down to the operating theatre, carry out the scans and tests, and before you know it, the procedure is complete. This is especially helpful when the clinic gets busy and we do not have enough manpower to move a bulky ultrasound machine between the clinic and operating theatres.

Lumify, albeit its small size, does not compromise on accuracy and image quality. I have used it on many ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsies, and I have not missed a single lesion. Lumify has assisted me many times to find a lesion during surgery to ensure that it has been totally resected.

At times when scanning a lactating breast, it can be difficult to differentiate between a blocked duct and an abscess collection. In such cases, Lumify can quickly assist us to determine the difference between the two. When a blocked duct is detected, a cystic lesion is displayed on the ultrasound, whereas when there is an abscess collection, the ultrasound highlights the vascularity around that inflamed region, and the contents appear more echogenic. The high image quality would enable us to make a more informed diagnostic decision and proceed with the right treatment."

"I continue the pursuit of my passion to raise breast cancer awareness through outreach programs. I see this as the ideal opportunity to improve myself as a medical professional, and also to educate more people in my specialty. With an aim to promote breast cancer awareness, I started the Breast Cancer Support Group in Bali, Indonesia. My team of doctors and I have been visiting Bali several times in a year over the past 10 years to run free breast screening programs for the people there. Over the years, our giving has become a catalyst for the local doctors to start their own road shows, where they actively promote breast cancer awareness, and bring breast screening services to all their villages. We believe that our initiative in Bali was a huge success, making it one of our most mature programs; we hope to start the same trend for Maldives, India and other parts of Asia in the future.

Through these screening programs, we were able to hold educational seminars for both the public and the doctors whom we worked with. For the latter, this opens up more opportunities for them to care for more patients and hone their skills in breast surgery. My team and I are privileged to be part of this learning experience where many young and driven individuals are passionate about improving the healthcare of their own community.

With time, my confidence in using the ultrasound has grown significantly. I have had the honor of training young surgeons from Singapore public hospitals and visiting surgeons from neighboring countries who come for attachments and internships specifically to learn the techniques in ultrasound-guided procedures. Through such attachments, I get to share my expertise and knowledge in ultrasound. By combining ultra-portability and image quality, Philips Lumify will open up new doors to the ways clinicians collaborate, educate and train. Its tele-ultrasound feature will provide healthcare professionals with greater confidence while we disrupt the barriers in education and training.”

“The routine use of ultrasound has become an integral part of my practice. In a resource-constrained environment, Lumify allows clinicians like myself to have quick access to a reliable ultrasound system and deliver diagnosis promptly to improve patient outcomes. It has been three years now, and the same Lumify device has been with me and my team on all of our outreach trips. Lumify has become a very crucial tool in our work because of the incredible image quality we obtain from the ultrasound scans.”