Helen Joseph Breast Care Clinic

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We hear the postive impact the HJBCC has on the surrounding community.

The Helen Joseph Breast Care Clinic (HJBCC) was set up in 2005 by specialist surgeon, Prof Carol-Ann Benn. She was joined by specialist surgeon, Prof Sarah Rayne.

Vision

To provide world-class breast care to the people of Johannesburg, delivered in a government hospital setting. Patient care should be excellent but affordable, and allow women (and men) access to all available methods of breast pathology diagnosis and treatment through an integrated, education orientated, multi-disciplinary approach; ensuring high quality patient care and effective service delivery.

Clinics

The HJBCC provides two specialist breast clinics each week. These are open access clinics which enables each patient to be seen within a week of identification of a breast problem.

Tuesday: Open access for all new patients without previous HJBCC attendance.

Thursday: Open access for follow-up patients undergoing investigation and treatment in the HJBCC.

Each clinic is run with:

  • at least one specialist surgeon
  • one or two training surgeons (registrar/resident)
  • one or two interns (junior doctors)

These clinics and the ward care are complemented by a nurse-led dressing clinic run each morning for patients. Our nurses are experts in managing dressings and drains for post-operative patients, as well as explaining and supporting patients in the management of their own wounds and drains.

In addition, the nurses also manage dressings for our locally-advanced T4 patients, a subset of women who have presented late with fungating or ulcerating wounds.

It is important to give these women the local support of their wounds and develop strategies to prevent odour and leakage and to enable women to adequately cleanse and manage their wounds in the community whilst receiving primary chemotherapy.

Who are the patients of HJBCC?

The clinic manages 500-700 patients each month in two weekly specialist clinics. Separate hospital records have been kept since 2008; the clinic has seen and followed-up more than 12,000 patients in that time. In 2017, 327 new breast cancers were diagnosed and treated.

Breast cancer patients

HJBCC has 10-15 new cancer diagnoses each week. Most of the patients present as locally-advanced disease and are referred immediately for primary chemotherapy. A further 2-3 patients will undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy each week, of which two-thirds are positive.

Surgical care

HJBCC has a ward devoted to breast patients next to the clinic, allowing easy access for patients and relatives. We manage three full-day operating lists dedicated to breast cases, with a further general surgery full-day list used for some benign cases. Two lists are assigned to breast surgery, both benign and malignant, each week and one list is for onco-reconstructive cases and breast plastic surgery.

We have a strong reconstructive surgery department working within the unit, with 100 reconstructions carried out each year. Many patients have immediate reconstruction with oncologic surgery and reconstruction carried out by different teams at the same operation.

Multi-disciplinary care

Oncology facilities are centralised offsite five kilometres away and comprise a radiation unit and medical oncology outpatient and inpatient facilities.

There is a multi-disciplinary meeting comprising surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists each week to ensure comprehensive care.

Within the hospital our close partnership with the specialist radiologists and a weekly combined breast meeting ensure that clinical, radiological and histological assessments of each patient correlate.

Radiology

The mammography unit provides full field digital mammography with two digital mammography units, a prone stereotactic unit and two ultrasound machines with high definition linear probes, employing three radiographers and four specialist radiologists with mammography skills.

Up to 30 patients per day receive diagnostic and screening mammography, multiple core biopsies, aspirations, V marker placements and hookwire localisations under stereotactic and ultrasound guidance.

Supportive care

There is a genetic counselling service with clinics held four times a year. This is for women who are at high risk of breast disease due to hereditary factors. This includes testing for BRCA mutations.

Within the hospital referrals are available to our physiotherapy department to aid with lymphoedema care, and general wellness.

The Breast Health Foundation provide more wide-ranging support to the centre. They raise awareness of the clinic through mobile breast units and community education. Their Bosom Buddies support network is invaluable in continuing our patient support in the community.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Prof Carol-Ann Benn heads up an internationally accredited, multi-disciplinary breast cancer centre at Netcare Milpark Hospital. She lectures at Wits University and, in 2002, established the Breast Health Foundation.Prof Carol-Ann Benn heads up an internationally accredited, multi-disciplinary breast cancer centre at Netcare Milpark Hospital. She lectures at Wits University and, in 2002, established the Breast Health Foundation.

MEET OUR EXPERT – Prof Carol-Ann Benn

Prof Carol-Ann Benn heads up breast cancer centres at Helen Joseph Hospital and Netcare Milpark Hospital. She lectures at Wits University and, in 2002, established the Breast Health Foundation.

Prof Sarah Rayne is an academic surgeon with a particular interest in managing breast cancer and disease in public and private practice. Her research focuses on quality improvement in surgery, addressing inequalities in breast cancer care and community engagement for breast awareness.

MEET OUR EXPERT – Prof Sarah Rayne

Prof Sarah Rayne is an academic surgeon with a particular interest in managing breast cancer and disease in public and private practice. Her research focuses on quality improvement in surgery, addressing inequalities in breast cancer care and community engagement for breast awareness.

#SpreadTheHope

31 Replies to “Helen Joseph Breast Care Clinic”

  1. Good day
    I enquired about an explant due to complications now after 25 years!
    Had a call from Helen Joseph this morning but got cut off, unfortunately.
    Kindly advise as I need help to get these implants removed due to health reasons.
    Thank you so much!
    Kind regards
    Charmaine- 071 331 5944

    1. Dear Charmaine

      Please contact the Helen Joseph Hospital on 011 489 0930.

      Regards
      Buddies for Life Magazine

    2. I have been diagnosed with breast cancer in my one breast and need to have an operation. I would prefer to have the op done at Helen Joseph. I have my mammogram and biopsy results. How do I schedule the procedure with Helen Joseph?

  2. Good morning
    I am very confused at the moment with all the information I am receiving.
    I have quite a large lump in my breast which is now getting painful.
    I called HJH and was told I could attend on a Tuesday morning. I have since heard from other people that I first need to go to Jhb Gen for a mammogram.
    I am not sure what my next step will be as I don’t want to waste anybodies time.
    I live in Boksburg and rely on friends for transport.
    Any advice as to my next step forward will be great fully appreciated.
    Kind regards
    Jeanette Bennetts

    1. Thank you for your message Jeanette. The best would be to go to HJH for a breast exam first. New patients are seen on a Tuesday between 7am – 10am, no letter of referral or appointment is needed, just your ID and proof of income/unemployment.

  3. Hi. I am 21 year University student. I have very large and sagging breast. I want to have a breast reduction and a breast lift. I would like to know how much would I have to pay for the procedure

    1. Dear Beniter
      Thank you for your message.
      You will have to consult with a surgeon regarding this.
      All the best!

    1. Hi Beauty, you will have to consult with a Doctor.
      Details for the Helen Joseph Breast Care Clinic are as follows:
      APPOINTMENT TIMES
      NEW PATIENTS: TUESDAY 07H30 – 10H00
      FOLLOW UP PATENTS: THURSDAY 07H00 – 10H00
      ADDRESS
      Helen Joseph Breast Care Clinic (upper ramp)
      Helen Jospeh Hospital, 1 Perth Rd, Westdene, Johannesburg, 2092

  5. Good day
    i have very big breast and would like to do reductions and tummy tuck , do you guys do tummy tuck?

    Thank you

    1. You can go to Helen Joseph Breast Clinic on a Tuesday morning between 7am and 10am. Please bring your ID and R150 for a consultation.

      The clinic does breast reductions but please note that there are medical requirements for the hospital to cover the costs of the surgery. You may need to cover the cost of her breast reduction, this will be costed by the hospitals and normally starts around R 10 000.

      Ntokozo is always in the clinic, if you has any questions please ask for her.

  9. Good day, my name is Wendy. I have recently been feeling a very unpleasant pain by the left side of my breast just below my armpits but there is no lump. How do I go about consulting and how much will be expected from me?

    1. Hi Wendy, thank you for commenting. You can go to the Helen Joseph Breast Clinic on a Tuesday morning between 7am and 10am.
      Please bring your ID and R150 for a consultation. If you have any more questions, please call the Breast Health Foundation national support line 0860 283 343

  10. Hi, my name is Gugu I have big breast and I want to uplift them without implant is it possible and how much it cost thank you.

    1. Hi Gugu,

      Do you mean a breast reduction? You will have to contact the clinic directly.

  11. Hallo, I went for a mammogram and they found a lump that must be biopsied. Problem is the biopsy costs about R5500. Money which I dont have. Is there anyway that they will be able to assist me durinf lockdown. I live in Limpopo

  12. Hi my name is Revelation , I am 19 years old and i live around Limpopo. I have big breasts, I’m experiencing some allergies on my breasts, they are itchy and constantly experiencing inflammation in breasts, back and neck pains but i can’t seem to feel any lumps. This been happening for a while now. What should I do?

  13. Hi, my name is Sekiwe. 2018 in January, my left breast got swollen. I went to Professor Benn Surgery in Milpark. She examined me and gave me some pills and fortunately she said it’s not Breast Cancer, since I was concerned of my background of my mother who had Breast Cancer. The pills she gave me worked well. But this same left one keeps on becoming painful at times and they are bigger now and painful. Now I have taken a decision that I want to do breast reduction. I believe that will prevent anything that might happen, like breast cancer since my mom, died from it. But now I would like to find out whether how much will be the breast Reduction? Also since am working, is it possible to do it at Helen Joseph at an affordable price? Even if I can do it in her Surgery that will be fine. Also Should I pay cash or will it be deducted from my medical aid since am doing this for health reasons?Please help. Please do email me.

    1. Dear Sekiwe, please consult with Prof Benn regarding a breast reduction. Regards, The Publishing Team

  14. Hi. My name is Anda, I’m a 21 year old from Fietas. I have a lump on my right breast and it’s starting to get painful. I want to know how much will it cost me to undergo mammogram and whether to first come to the Breast Care Clinic or to the Hospital and also what should I come with?

  15. Hi , I would like to enquire if i can get any assistance with breast reduction. The size of my breast is too big, giving me chronic back pains.

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