MUSCAT : The services, launched through the hospital’s General Surgery Department and Breast Surgery Unit, include the use of the Sentimag system by Endomag to locate non-palpable breast tumours and sentinel lymph nodes in the armpit.

The hospital has also introduced an integrated post-operative support service providing breast prostheses, post-operative bras and other products designed to assist patients during recovery.

The two services form part of the hospital’s efforts to establish a more integrated care pathway for breast cancer patients, covering treatment from diagnosis and surgery through to post-treatment care and rehabilitation.

Dr Sarah bint Mohammed Al-Kindi, a consultant in breast oncology and reconstruction surgery at Khoula Hospital, said breast cancer surgery generally involves two key areas: treating the primary breast tumour and identifying sentinel lymph nodes in the armpit.

The assessment of sentinel lymph nodes helps doctors determine the stage of the disease and develop appropriate treatment plans for individual patients, she said.

The Sentimag system uses magnetic technology involving magnetic seeds, known as Magseed, and a magnetic tracer called Magtrace to help surgeons locate tumours that cannot be felt during surgery and identify sentinel lymph nodes.

According to the hospital, the technology is being used for the first time in Oman at Khoula Hospital.

The system enables surgeons to locate non-palpable tumours during an operation, helping them remove the targeted tissue accurately while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. It can also assist in locating sentinel lymph nodes within the operating theatre.

The magnetic approach provides an alternative to conventional techniques, including the use of metal wires to locate non-palpable breast tumours and radioactive materials to identify sentinel lymph nodes.

The technology can also allow the magnetic marker to be placed before the day of surgery and remain in position until the procedure, giving surgical teams greater flexibility when planning operations and potentially reducing waiting times associated with traditional localisation methods.

The hospital’s new breast prosthesis service is primarily aimed at women who have undergone a mastectomy, including patients who require partial replacement to improve symmetry, as well as those who do not wish to or cannot undergo breast reconstruction.

The service includes prostheses available in different sizes, shapes and weights, alongside post-operative bras and soft prosthetic options intended to provide comfort, support and protection to the surgical area during recovery.

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