Dr Benigno Acea works as a Consultant at the General Surgery Service of the Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña. As second vice chair of AECIMA, he is directing for the seventh consecutive year the Specialization Course on Oncoplastic and Recosntructive Surgery of the Breast, to be held on February 6-10, 2012 (modules I and II) and May 21-25 (module III) at the Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña.
Why did you become a breast surgeon?
I studied general surgery and during my time as a medical intern resident I met by chance Dr Carlos Sobo, a surgeon exclusivelly dedicated to breast surgery. When I finished my specialization in 1995, I was very inspired by him, even though at that time reconstructive surgery was a mere anecdote as regards mastectomies. A few years later, the Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña formed a multidisciplinary team devoted to breast surgery, where I eneded up working full-time. Then, I specialized in breast surgery, even though this was something rare ar that time. Eleven years later, super-specialization has been proven to be a very effective strategy for patients and healthcare professionals.
What does it mean to be a breast surgeon? How has your role evolved since yu started working in this field?
In 2000 breast surgery was not very complex. There were very few techniques besides mastectomy and tumor resection. Nowadays there are over thirty. During the last years, the techniques have become more complex and there are many more new procedures, such as the skin-sparing mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy and the immediate breast reconstruction with latissimus dorsi flap. We have had to learn new procedures to meet the needs of the patients. It is necessary to acquire the technical knowledge, thus general surgeons need to spend some time being trained. Women with breast cancer deserve to be offered the possibility of an immediate breast reconstruction, and only specialized surgeons are able to perform this technique.
In this sense, what is the contribution of the Specialization Course on Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Surgery of the Breast for the surgeons who want to specialize in this field?
The first edition of the course was held in 2006, and served as an initiative of a group of surgeons with common interests and problems. At that time there were some Spanish hospitals performing reconstructive techniques, so the aim was to discuss and share the knowledge acquired by each of these groups. The course serves as a forum to promote the exchange of knowledge and the fluid communication among professionals. The lecturers are experienced professionals with an advanced technical knowledge who are willing to share their expertise with colleagues and students. Besides increasing their knowledge, all the participants widen their network of contacts with lecturers and other participants. We have witnessed how these connections have survived many editions of the course.
What is the role of AECIMA?
AECIMA intends to create a forum for surgeons working in the field of breast surgery, regardless of their specialization. Breast surgeons need a very specific training and have common concerns. Thanks to AECIMA we can establish a communication that allows us to share educational processes or exchange opinions regarding problems or concerns that affect all of us.
