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N&N to bring in world expert

17 October 2005

Surgeon Dr Bob Allen

The world's leading breast reconstruction surgeon is coming to Norfolk, in a move that will establish the county's flagship hospital as the UK's leading centre for a ground-breaking treatment for cancer patients.

Bob Allen has pioneered the revolutionary technique to ease the suffering of women with breast cancer and, from December, he will be carrying out reconstructive surgery at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. He will also pass on his expertise to surgeons in the region - enabling more women to benefit from his technique that reconstructs the breast using fatty tissue from the patient rather than muscle or implants.

Last August, the EDP revealed that a groundbreaking variation of the pioneering operation had been carried out for the first time in Britain at the N&N by Dr Allen, after he was invited to Norfolk by consultant plastic surgeon Elaine Sassoon.

But now he is planning to visit Norwich up to three times a year in three-week stints to operate and teach.

Ironically, it is the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans that has benefited Norfolk, as the flooding forced Dr Allen to close his practice in the American city.

Speaking exclusively to the EDP over the weekend from his present base in South Carolina, Dr Allen confirmed that he would shortly be operating regularly at the N&N. He said: “I was living in New Orleans when Katrina struck and had to leave. Different people made me different offers and suggestions but I had been to Norwich before and Elaine said I should come back, which sounded really interesting, so I agreed.”

While Dr Allen has made a firm commitment to come to Norwich, there is still the necessary paperwork and accreditation to secure but that is understood to be little more than a formality. “It will happen. I have a commitment to come and do the work,” he said. “I think it will be a situation where I come there three times a year and operate to do breast reconstruction work with Elaine Sassoon.”

On each visit he would perform around seven reconstruction operations using his new technique.

“I would also imagine there would be a teaching situation, where registrars and others would be interested in learning what I have to teach.”

The EDP understands part of that link could be through the University of East Anglia's medical school, with Dr Allen offered honorary professor status. His visits would also be virtually self-funding, with Dr Allen performing private operations in the evenings and at weekends, and operating on NHS patients with the N&N reconstructive surgery team during the day.

The news of Dr Allen practising in Norfolk regularly will be welcomed by breast cancer organisations and is a major boost, coming mid-way through Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Dr Allen's so-called Perforator Flaps technique uses the patient's own tissue to rebuild the breast without sacrificing muscle tissue, with the new variation taking the fat from the bottom of the patient's buttock rather than the top or the stomach. This helps maintain a woman's body shape better and keeps scars hidden.

He explained: “This is going to be an emerging speciality as you get a much better outcome.”

Yet, but for the tragedy of New Orleans, Dr Allen may not have been able to offer such a commitment to Norfolk. After 29 years in New Orleans, he left the city a day before Katrina struck and moved with his family 800 miles east to South Carolina to begin operating out of Charleston.

Three days after Katrina struck, he closed his operation in New Orleans and it now seems unlikely he will practise there again in the foreseeable future. He had worked from the city's Memorial Hospital where 45 patients died and there were reports of doctors killing patients by giving them morphine so they would not suffer in the devastation of the hurricane. “The hospital suffered so much damage that they might have to tear it down and rebuild, but that could be a long time away,” he said.

But he is looking forward to working in the UK, particularly at the N&N. “It is a wonderful hospital with nice facilities and people are very supportive,” he said. “It could be a long-term situation and one that I am looking forward to. It might even mean that I come over more than two or three times a year, that just depends.”

Dr Allen said that by coming to Norwich and passing on his expertise, it could make the N&N a leading centre for innovative breast reconstruction.

Consultant Elaine Sassoon said Dr Allen would bring a high level of knowledge to the N&N and his expertise would be invaluable in the most difficult cases.

“He is good at teaching people and enthusing. We hope we can tap into his experience and knowledge and that he can train doctors, nurses and consultants as well as participating in operations on patients on the NHS,” she added. “The chief executive of the hospital has agreed in principle. We believe it will be an advantage to NHS patients as he is the best in the world.”