Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

(1) Overview

Our department was created in April 2021.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is a specialist field of surgery which uses a wide range of techniques to treat tissue abnormalities, deformities, and conditions which lead to cosmetic dissatisfaction. We aim to achieve not only good function, but aesthetically pleasing outcomes for our patients, to achieve the best quality of life for our patients.

(2) Policies

• Using state-of-the-art techniques to improve our patients’ lives
  With two specialists from the Japanese Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, our department aims to offer high quality care to all patients requiring plastic surgery. We treat not only injuries and illnesses, but also aim to improve the appearance of wounds. Seeing our patients return to their normal lives brings us great satisfaction.
• Offering breast reconstruction to all of our hospital’s breast cancer patients
  There are many different methods of reconstructing breast tissue, and these are growing more numerous over the years. We aim to take advantage of our status as a tertiary hospital by being able to offer each patient a choice amongst a wide range of techniques, including implants, using the patient’s own tissues, and approaches not covered by Japanese Health Insurance such as fat injection.
• Our hospital is an accredited facility of the Japan Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Society (Expanders: primary and secondary reconstruction, implants: first and second phase primary reconstruction, and secondary reconstruction)

(3) Our Strengths

• Close partnership with other specialties
  As a high-level base hospital for community cancer treatment, our plastics department offers skin-flaps, microsurgery, and wound-repair techniques in in partnership with other surgical specialties, and can help to correct deformities and abnormalities of skin via reconstruction. We aim not only for the complete cure of cancer, but for the preservation of normal function and appearance of the affected tissues through reconstructive surgery, to minimize the psychological effects on patients post-surgery.
  In particular, within our breast cancer we liaise with breast surgeons to perform surgeries together. For skin cancer patients, we also have a close partnership with the dermatology department, and provide expert treatment all the way from diagnosis to surgical treatment.
• Dealing with difficult-to-treat wounds
  The plastic surgery department specializes in the surgical treatment of wounds, and through close collaboration with dermatology, cardiology and certified nurses in WOC (Wound, Ostomy and Continence), offer treatment for difficult wounds. We also participate regularly in the footcare conference and pressure ulcer rounds, and are part of the team approach to lower-limb ulcers and pressure ulcers.

We also deal with a wide range of conditions, including:

• Scars on the face, feet and hands
• Wound contractures and hypertrophic scars
• Facial fractures
• Ptosis, in-turning eyelashes/eyelids
• Tumors of the skin and soft-tissues
• Cancer resection and reconstruction
• Inverted nipple
• Axillary sweat gland surgery
• Inverted nails surgery

For Patients Who Attend Our Department

• We use an appointment system to minimize the waiting time for our patients
• For patients who attend from other hospitals or clinics, please bring a referral letter and a list of current medications. This is to ensure a full understand of the progress to date, and avoid unnecessary tests and consultations.
• We welcome feedback from our patients to improve our services. Also, please feel free to ask any questions during outpatient appointments.

Head of Department
Dr Nao Ito