Thriving on change

“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 patients’ 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 Centre, 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 machines 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.”