Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK’s first keyhole breast reconstruction surgery marks major breakthrough

The procedure is a modified version of the DIEP flap surgery

UK’s first keyhole breast reconstruction surgery

Tanya Tanna , had her mastectomy in 2020

BBC

A woman from west London has become the first person in the UK to undergo a new form of breast reconstruction surgery using a keyhole technique, developed to aid quicker recovery and reduce complications following a mastectomy.

Tanya Tanna, 56, from South Ruislip, had the minimally invasive operation after her breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent mastectomy. The surgery was performed by a team of London-based surgeons and has been described as a significant breakthrough in cancer treatment.


The procedure is a modified version of the DIEP flap (deep inferior epigastric perforator) surgery, which is commonly used for breast reconstruction. It involves removing tissue, including a blood vessel, from the patient’s abdomen and using it to reconstruct the breast.

In standard DIEP flap operations, a large incision of around 10 to 12 centimetres is made in the abdominal wall. However, the new keyhole technique requires an incision of only 2 to 3 centimetres. According to the surgical team, this not only reduces trauma to the abdominal wall but also significantly lowers the risk of complications such as hernias and shortens the recovery time.

Ms Tanna described the experience as unexpectedly positive. “After this complex surgery, lasting eight hours, I was expecting a large amount of pain,” she said. “But I felt no pain, and the day afterwards I was up and about walking. The nurses were looking at me as if it was a miracle.”

The keyhole procedure was developed and carried out by Mr Dariush Nikkhah, a consultant plastic surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital, and Mr Alistair Slesser, a consultant colorectal surgeon at Hillingdon Hospital. The technique adapts a method being trialled in a small number of centres internationally, but has now been successfully introduced in the UK.

Mr Nikkhah said, “The Royal Free Hospital is now one of the few centres in the world which can offer this type of surgery. It is more challenging to perform, but it improves patient recovery. Instead of the usual four to seven-day hospital stay, patients undergoing this keyhole surgery may only need to remain in hospital for one to two days.”

Mr Slesser added, “This is a massive breakthrough in cancer surgery. We are continuing to refine the process and aim to develop a robotic-assisted version of the procedure.”

The robotic version would involve the surgeon operating instruments remotely via robotic arms, offering increased control and magnification during surgery. This, the team believes, could improve precision and reduce surgical risk even further.

Ms Tanna had her mastectomy in 2020, but her reconstructive surgery was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and NHS backlogs. Mr Nikkhah later proposed the new keyhole option, and Ms Tanna agreed to become the first UK patient to undergo it.

“When I heard that I would be the first patient in the UK to have this procedure I was a bit nervous, but also excited,” she said. “The team promised to make me feel whole again, and that’s what they did.”

More For You

sugary drinks and ice cream

Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019

iStock

Global warming may drive higher consumption of sugary drinks and ice cream, study warns

Highlights:

  • Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
  • Lower-income households most affected, research finds
  • Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
  • Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data

Sugary consumption rising with heat

People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.

Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spotting the signs of dementia

Priya Mulji with her father

Spotting the signs of dementia

How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love

I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mounjaro price rise

Eli Lilly has agreed a discounted supply deal for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro

iStock

Mounjaro’s highest dose to rise from £122 to £247.50, not £330

Highlights:

  • Eli Lilly had announced a steep price rise of up to 170% for Mounjaro.
  • A new discount deal with UK suppliers will limit the increase for patients.
  • Pharmacies will still apply a mark-up, but consumer costs are expected to rise less than initially feared.
  • NHS pricing remains unaffected due to separate arrangements.

Eli Lilly has agreed a discounted supply deal for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro, easing fears of a sharp rise in costs for UK patients. The new arrangement means that, from September, pharmacies and private services will face smaller wholesale increases than first expected, limiting the impact on consumers.

Why the price rise was announced

Earlier this month, Eli Lilly said it would raise Mounjaro’s list price by as much as 170%, which could have pushed the highest monthly dose from £122 to £330. The company argued that UK pricing needed to align more closely with higher costs in Europe and the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
chicken-pox-istock

The Department of Health said the rollout would reduce missed days at nursery and school, cut time parents take off work, and save the NHS about £15 million a year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

England to introduce free chickenpox vaccine for children from 2026

CHILDREN in England will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine for the first time from January 2026, the government has announced.

GP practices will give eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. Around half a million children each year are expected to be protected.

Keep ReadingShow less
Naga Munchetty urges women to prioritise their health

Naga Munchetty

Naga Munchetty urges women to prioritise their health

WHEN broadcaster and journalist Naga Munchetty began speaking openly about her experiences with adenomyosis and debilitating menstrual pain, the response was overwhelming.

Emails and messages poured in from women who had endured years of dismissal, silence and shame when it came to their health. That outpouring became the driving force behind her new book, It’s Probably Nothing, which calls for women to be heard and to advocate for themselves in a medical system that has too often ignored them.

Keep ReadingShow less