New Zealand Physios Note the Benefits of Mepitel for Preventing Radiation Skin Changes in Breast Cancer Patients

As you can imagine, my recent teaching adventures in New Zealand and Australia revealed some differences in cancer treatment compared to the States. After a lecture in which I discuss the indications and side effects of radiation treatment a few physiotherapists from New Zealand raved about a wound care product called Mepitel Film which can be used prophylactically during radiation to prevent skin changes.

Susannah HaarmannOctober 18, 2016radiation, breast radiation, radiation burns, radiation skin changes, Mepitel, Mepitel Film, University of Otago, Denedin, New Zealand, moist desquamation, radiotherapy, breast cancerComment

Rehab Take-home messages: Latissimus Dorsi Reconstruction and Functional Implications of the Shoulder

I turned to the literature and found prominent articles discussing breast reconstruction and giving minimal consequence to shoulder function after resection of the latissimus dorsi muscle. As a physical therapist, this left me in a quandary, “Really? Harvesting a portion of the broadest muscle of the back then threading it through the axilla to recreate the breast mound won’t have an impact on shoulder function or back pain? Impressive!” But, this did not correlate with my clinical findings.

Susannah HaarmannOctober 18, 2016latissimus dorsi, reconstruction, LDF, flap repair, breast reconstruction, shoulder biomechanics, breast cancer, breast cancer rehabiliationComment