Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Surgery

Supervisor

Brackstone, M.

2nd Supervisor

Cristancho, S.

Co-Supervisor

Abstract

Oncoplastic surgery is considered the standard of care for breast cancer therapy in numerous Western World countries, particularly in Europe. Despite the advancement of knowledge, Canada still lags in adoption of oncoplasty into the standard surgical practice. In our study, a mentorship program was used to introduce oncoplastic surgery to practicing breast surgeons at LHSC. The change in perception and adoption of oncoplastic surgery were evaluated using semi-structured interviews, before and after the intervention, by qualitative thematic analysis method. Mentorship program was validated as a superior method of learning new surgical techniques by practicing surgeons, demonstrating acceptance of different levels of oncoplastic surgery. Identified barriers to acceptance included surgeon satisfaction with their initial work, lack of formal training, limited availability of courses, and the limitations within the Canadian healthcare system. Mentorship program was found to be a valid, accessible method for adopting new surgical techniques and needs. As a result, oncoplastic surgery started to be adopted at LHSC, providing an example of how to facilitate the adoption to other surgical communities

Khayat-MSc_Thesis-final(PD).pdf (10781 kB)
Final Thesis submission

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