Melanoma: Jeanne's Story
November 27, 2019The first time Jeanne Tufano had a melanoma removed from her nose, a plastic surgeon was able to restore her appearance to near normalcy. Nine years later, however, the cancer returned and she lost a significantly larger portion of her nose, including the tip. This time, complex nasal reconstructive surgery would be required to restore her appearance.
"Removing the cancer saved my life, and I'm grateful for that," said Jeanne. "But reconstructing my nose restored the quality of my life, and for that I'm eternally grateful."
Care for the Whole Person
Disfigurement is a common consequence of the surgical procedures often needed to remove the diseased tissues in a variety of cancer types. The Holy Cross Health Cancer Institute offers expert care that addresses the physical, emotional and psychological changes that accompany a cancer diagnosis, with the commitment to deliver individualized cancer treatment that focuses on the whole person. Reconstructive surgery is an integral part of the continuum of care offered by our multidisciplinary and collaborative team of cancer care specialists, which also includes surgical treatment, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, clinical trials and a broad range of supportive services.
For the complex, multiphase process of reconstructing her nose, Jeanne chose Alexander Sailon, MD, plastic surgery, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital.
"Removing the cancer saved my life, and I'm grateful for that," said Jeanne. "But reconstructing my nose restored the quality of my life, and for that I'm eternally grateful.”
- Jeanne Tufano
"This type of surgery poses an enormous emotional challenge for my patients, so I block off an hour to show them pictures of what to expect. I emphasize the end result to help fortify them for the coming weeks and months. Jeanne took it well, but there were some tears," said Dr. Sailon.
"Dr. Sailon's honesty and compassion about what lay ahead, and his confidence in the end result, helped ease my fears considerably," said Jeanne.
It took three surgeries to rebuild Jeanne's nasal framework. Dr. Sailon first took a cone-shaped section of skin from her forehead, and twisted it down and attached it to what remained of her nose. Once the flap had successfully attached itself, he performed two more procedures to complete the shaping process.
Dr. Sailon credits his team for the optimum outcomes he achieves. "Their feedback during each procedure helps me achieve the best possible outcome for the patient who benefits from the team's expertise."
Expert Cancer Care in a Healing Environment
Jeanne had her procedures at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, which like Holy Cross Hospital, has all private rooms and is valued by its patients for its peaceful, healing environment.
“The staff knew me and understood what I was going through," said Jeanne. "When I was able to laugh, people laughed with me, and when I needed to cry, they were there for me as well.”
Holy Cross Health treats more cancer inpatients annually than any other hospital or health system in Montgomery or Prince George's counties.
Today, Jeanne enthusiastically embraces her experience at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, and wants to spread the word about the reconstructive procedure that helped get her life moving forward again.
"I'm happy to do my part to let people know what is possible," said Jeanne. "Whenever anyone asks me about it, I tell them the story of my nose!"