There's no good time to hear that you have cancer. But with two of her sons' weddings on the horizon, the news couldn't have come at a worse time for Patti Loukides, a Jackson resident and mother of five.A routine mammogram in June 2010 showed that she had breast cancer. An MRI in July confirmed that she had a second mass, and a mastectomy, or removal of the breast, was the only treatment option. It couldn't be put off.
Patti's physician referred her to breast surgeon Renee Armour, M.D., and plastic surgeon Negin Griffith, M.D., both affiliated with Riverview Medical Center, for immediate treatment.
Patti met with Dr. Griffith to discuss her options. The cancer was in Patti's left breast, but together they decided a double mastectomy coupled with a reconstruction of both breasts was the best option.
Dr. Griffith knew that Patti was determined to be at both weddings and that it was important she be able to fly to Colorado a few weeks later. Because Dr. Griffith is a physician at Riverview, she had access to a new technology called the SPY Imaging System. SPY is an advanced laser imaging technology, and Riverview is the first in the state to have it.
Using SPY, a doctor can inject a fluorescent dye into the patient's bloodstream and watch in real time as the blood flows down to even the tiniest capillary, explains John Taylor, M.D., a plastic surgeon at Riverview.
"SPY is like a crystal ball," adds Dr. Griffith. "It shows exactly which areas will have good blood flow and circulation and which will not. That's something the naked eye can't do. It allows us to evaluate blood flow in the skin left behind after a mastectomy."
"Without SPY, we might not realize that there is inadequate circulation right away," Dr. Taylor says. "SPY provides doctors with the type of information we otherwise wouldn't know for three or four days after surgery."
With its supremely accurate imaging of blood flow, SPY helps doctors lower the risk that their patients will have significant complications — such as skin necrosis, which is the dying of the skin, and open wounds — that can result in infection and repeat operations.
"With her sons' upcoming weddings, it was all the more important that we help Patti avoid complications," says Dr. Griffith. "We only had three weeks; there were no extra days to spare."
John M. Taylor, M.D.
"I was so excited about the upcoming weddings and traveling to Colorado for the one in August," says Patti, 57. "The news I received about having breast cancer was completely devastating to me and my family, but I was determined not to let it beat me, or prevent me from celebrating these special days with my sons."
SPY-ing a Better Surgery
Patti's physician referred her to breast surgeon Renee Armour, M.D., and plastic surgeon Negin Griffith, M.D., both affiliated with Riverview Medical Center, for immediate treatment.
Patti met with Dr. Griffith to discuss her options. The cancer was in Patti's left breast, but together they decided a double mastectomy coupled with a reconstruction of both breasts was the best option.
Dr. Griffith knew that Patti was determined to be at both weddings and that it was important she be able to fly to Colorado a few weeks later. Because Dr. Griffith is a physician at Riverview, she had access to a new technology called the SPY Imaging System. SPY is an advanced laser imaging technology, and Riverview is the first in the state to have it.
'Like a Crystal Ball'
Using SPY, a doctor can inject a fluorescent dye into the patient's bloodstream and watch in real time as the blood flows down to even the tiniest capillary, explains John Taylor, M.D., a plastic surgeon at Riverview.
"SPY is like a crystal ball," adds Dr. Griffith. "It shows exactly which areas will have good blood flow and circulation and which will not. That's something the naked eye can't do. It allows us to evaluate blood flow in the skin left behind after a mastectomy."
"Without SPY, we might not realize that there is inadequate circulation right away," Dr. Taylor says. "SPY provides doctors with the type of information we otherwise wouldn't know for three or four days after surgery."
Avoiding Second Surgeries
With its supremely accurate imaging of blood flow, SPY helps doctors lower the risk that their patients will have significant complications — such as skin necrosis, which is the dying of the skin, and open wounds — that can result in infection and repeat operations.
"With her sons' upcoming weddings, it was all the more important that we help Patti avoid complications," says Dr. Griffith. "We only had three weeks; there were no extra days to spare."
They talked about this procedure, and Dr. Griffith told Patti it could lower the risk for infection. "Once I heard that, I said, 'OK, where do I sign?'" Patti says. "After the surgery, there were no complications. It's unbelievable. Three weeks later, I was on a plane to Colorado to see my son get married. And it's been a textbook healing since."
About the Doctors
Board certified in Plastic Surgery
Holmdel | 732-335-0335
John M. Taylor, M.D.
Board certified in Plastic Surgery
Long Branch | 732-483-1800
