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Florida doc leads new breast cancer reconstruction surgery
Dr. Devina McCray, a breast surgeon in Altamonte Springs, Florida, is preparing to perform Central Florida’s first robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy to give breast cancer patients a safer, less invasive treatment option. Using a much smaller incision and an articulating console camera, this precise robotic procedure preserves blood flow and nerve sensation better than traditional methods, ultimately improving patients' quality of life and aesthetic outcomes during reconstruction.
AdventHealth's Dr. Devina McCray is preparing to become the first surgeon in Central Florida to perform a new robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy. The advanced procedure offers select breast cancer patients a surgical option designed to improve quality of life after treatment.
What we know:
Traditional nipple-sparing mastectomies rely on longer incisions underneath the breast, which can cause nerve damage that leaves most women without sensation.
The robotic approach uses a much smaller incision. Once instruments are in place, the surgeon operates from a console, controlling tools and a high-definition camera that articulates inside the breast within a centimeter of the dissection site.
The magnified camera view allows surgeons to remove breast tissue precisely while preserving critical blood flow, creating a smoother transition to reconstruction.
What they're saying:
"Being able to encourage patients and let them know everything’s gonna be okay," McCray said."And we got them and we’re gonna get them through treatment, but not just treatment. Survivorship is also so important."
McCray spent months completing hundreds of hours of training to learn the technique.
"What I want our patients to know is that, treatment is changing," McCray said.
What we don't know:
Only a small group of surgeons across the country currently perform this robotic technique – and right now, it's only available to specific patients to ensure it's safe as possible. It's not known how long it will take for more doctors to be trained on the new robotic technology and for it to be more widely offered.
The Source: FOX 35's Marley Capper talked with Dr. Devina McCray about the new technology, her training, and how it will be able to able some patients with reconstruction after a mastectomy.