74 - CAPE GAZETTE, Friday, May 2 - May 8, 2003
HEALTH .&
FITNESS
Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer FouJadation a00vards
grant to Bayhealth
The Philadelphia affiliate of the Susan G.
Komen Breast Cancer Foundation recently
awarded a $25,000 grant to Bayhealth
Medical Center for projects to advance
breast heath and breast cancer awareness.
Bayhealth was selected based on a set of
criteria established according to a commu-
nity needs assessment of the Delaware Val-
ley. Through an intensive review process,
the selection committee determined which
of the applying organizations best address
the specified needs for the Delaware Valley
community.
"We are very pleased to be able to sup-
port Bayhealth's work," said Elaine Grob-
man, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer
Foundation, Philadelphia affiliate, execu-
tive director. "With such a formidable and
widespread disease as breast cancer, it is
true dedication like theirs that gives us all
hope of saving more lives today and one
day finding a cure."
According to Bayhealth'cancer educator
Paula Hess, RN, Bayhealth will apply the
grant to the Bayhealth/Komen Breast
Health Outreach for Seniors Program,
which works to provide breast health
awareness for women older than 65.
"Many women think that as they get old-
er, they don't need to have mammogram,
but the opposite couldn't be more true," she
said. "As women get older, their chances
of getting breast cancer increase, and they
need regu!ar mammograms to detect any
abnormal growths."
Bayhealth will work with area senior
centers and faith-based groups to reach at
least 1,000 women through speaking pro-
grams and the Mature African-Amedcans
for Mammography Coalition.
The six key focus areas of the Delaware
valley needs assessment are projects focus-
ing on breast cancer education, early detec-
tion and clinical care for women 65 and
older; projects offered in low-income com-
munities; projects creat-
ing greater awareness of
available breast health
resources; especially in
low-income communi-
ties; projects addressing
the needs of younger
women with breast can-
cer/at high risk; projects
providing free mam-
KOMEN mography screening, di-
agnostic testing and
treatment for uninsured women and men;
project targeting under-served communi-
ties currently not funded by the Philadel-
phia affdiate.The Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation was established in 1982
by Nancy Blinker to honor the memory of
her sister, Susan (3. Komen, who died from
breast cancer at age 36. For more informa-
tion on the Bayhealth/Komen Breast
Health Outreach Program for Seniors, call
Paula Hess, toll-free, at 877-453-7107.
Submitted photo
Local residents to walk
for breast cancer
Robin Palumbo and Angela Palm-
bo Hastings of Long & Foster Real-
tors in Rohoboth Beach will take per-
sonal steps to fund access to care and
finding a cure for breast cancer by
participating in the Susan G. Komen
Race for the Cure, May U, in
Philadelphia, Pa. Last Mother's Day,
more than 34,000 people participated
in the 5K race and raised $2.1 million
for research, education, screening,
and treatment. Every year, 75 per-
cent of the money raised by the
Komen Philadelphia Race for the
Cure stays here in the tristate com-
munity for education and treatment
and the remaining 25 percent goes
toward national research.
Throughout the year, both women
volunteer their time to the Philadel-.
phia ate of the Komen Race for
the Cure. This will be the seventh
year Palumbo and Hastings will par-
ticipate to honor their mother and
their aunt, who are breast cancer
survivors. To donate or sponsor
Palumbo and Hastings, call 226-4481
or you can send a check made
payable to the Komen Phila RFTC to
Palumbo at 720 Rehoboth Ave., Re-
hoboth Beach, DE 19971. For more
information, visit www.phillyraee-
forthecure.com.
Bayhealth names new
Medical Oncology
Services manager
• 13ayhealth Medical Center recently
promoted Andrea Holecek to Medical
Oncology Services manager.
In this new position, Holecek has
systemwide re-
sponsibility for
medical oncology
and infusion servic-
es for Bayhealth
Medical Center at
Kent General Hos-
pital and for the
Milford Memorial
Hospital Cancer
HOLECEK
Care Center, where
she also manages office operations.
"Andrea's expertise in oncology
nursing and academic preparation
make her a superb fit for (his posi-
tion," said Bayhealth Vice President of
the southern region Deborah Watson.
Holecekjoined Bayhealth in 1991 as
an licensed practical nurse. As she ad-
vanced her education, she became a
registered nurse in the Medical-Surgi-
cal Department and later in the
IV/Cbemotherapy Department at Kent
General Hospital. She most recently
served as charge nurse of the Oncolo-
gy and Infusion Center at Kent Gener-
al.
Holecek received her bachelor of
science in nursing from Wilmington
College and her master's degree in
nursing from the University of
Delaware. She is certified as an ad-
vanced oncology certified nurse and
certified registered nurse infusion.
r
New surgical technique for varicose minimizes scarring
Varicose veins in the lower ex-
tremities is a common probl.em. It
is a dilatation of the superficial
veins in the legs. It affects about
25 to 40 million Americans and is
four to times more common than
medal insufficiency.
The signs and symptoms of pri-
mary venous insufficiency and
varicose veins are multiple. The
symptoms could manifest as
aching p mn, nocturnal cramps, an-
kle edema, dermatitis with or
without itching, superficial throm-
bopldebitis, external hemorrhage,
hyperpigmentation of the skin and
ulceration.
The anatomy of the veins of the
legs consists of the greater saphe-
nous system, located in the inner
aspect of the leg, as well as the
deep femoral vein and the perfora-
tors located in between the two
systems.
Those veins contain a one-way
valve that allows the blood to
travel toward the heart, preventing
blood from pooling and leaking
back into the veins. In the case of
insufficiency, the main problem
with the veins is caused by a de-
HEALTH TOPICS
Dr. Alae Zarlf is a board-
certified surgeon who per-
forms general, vascular, tho-
racic and various cancer-re-
lated surgeries. For more in-
formation, call Cape Surgi-
ealAsm)eiates at 645-7050.
I
feet in the functioning of the
valves.
There are many factors that
contribute to the dysfunction of
the valves, such as too few valves
or congenital agencies, primary
valve stretching, overdilatation of
the vein wall, thrombosis of the
valve sinus, prolonged standing
and pregnancy.
.When those valves are dysfunc-
tional, this allows the blood to
pool inside the superficial system
of the greater saphenous and the
inner saphenous veins. With time,
the vein walls become dilated and
they become obvious underneath
the skin. The diagnosis of vari-
cose veins is made by clinical ex-
amination and Doppler testing to
document the deficiency in the
valve function.
There are various forms of
treatment for varicose veins, but
there are primarily two major
treatments. The first is conserva-
tive treatment that includes eleva-
tion of the legs upon resting.
Elastic stockings should be worn
all of the time by the patient and
should be measured professional-
ly to be well fitted. Treatment of
the underlying cause of varicose
veins may also be important.
The second branch of treatment
is surgical, which is reserved for
advanced and severely sympto-
matic varicose veins that did not
respond well to conservative treat-
ment.
Traditionally, surgery" has been
performed in a fashion that in-
cludes multiple open incisions,
where under general anesthesia
the surgeons make numerous
small incisions over the dilated
veins, ligating and stripping the
veins one by one. This usually
leaves multiple scars on the legs,
which can sometimes be cosmeti-
cally worse than the initial dis-
ease.
Recently, a new treatment for
varicose veins has evolved, which
is the transluminated powered
phlebectomy. This is actually an
endoscopic resection and ablation
of superficial varicosities using a
powered vein resector, an irrigat-
ed illuminator and tumescent
anesthesia.
Depending on the extent of the
area, usually only three to four
• very small scars are left on the leg
by this new treatment, and the
scars measure only about two mil-
limeters. This procedure gets rid
of multiple veins through those
small incisions.
The technique involves using an
illuminator transducer placed
through a very small incision un-
derneath the area of the veins and
the clusters of varicose veins, and
another:transsector introducer is
used to actually suction and ab-
sorb the dilated veins through an-
other two millimeter incision
placed in the counterpart Of the
clustered veins. All small vessels
and dilated varicose veins are re-
sected and suodoned through this
instrument, leaving very small,
sometimes unnoticeable, scarring
on the leg.
In conclusion, this procedure
causes little pain, enabling the pa-
tient to have an easy recovery.
Excellent cosmetic results are
achieved, and scarred, previously
injected veins can be removed by
this technique.
All sizes and shapes of veins
can be removed, and the equip-
ment is very easy to use. There
are far fewer incisions, and these
can be hidden. It takes less opera-
five and anesthesia time, and there
is much better visualization of the
veins during the procedure.