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by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

A NEW procedure to help breast cancer patients regain their confidence after surgery is being offered for the first time in Merseyside.

Sister Rebecca Brooks is the only nurse in the area to have been trained in micro-pigmentation, also known as medical tattooing.

The service she is now providing to many breast cancer patients at the Linda McCartney Centre forms part of the nipple reconstruction procedure following a mastectomy.

Ms Brooks implants colour to the area surrounding the nipple, which enhances the cosmetic appearance of the breast reconstruction.

She said: "Many women find that it improves the cosmetic appearance of the breast and that the procedure enhances their quality of life. Psychologically, it can make patients feel a lot more confident about themselves and it is a pleasant outcome after such a distressing experience.

"The method differs from normal tattooing, which penetrates deeper into the skin."

Nipple tattooing sessions are taking place twice a month in the nurse-led clinic and take around an hour to complete.

Sister Brooks underwent a course of theoretical and practical training which was overseen by Mr Chandrashekar, consultant breast onco-plastic surgeon and he mentored her throughout the assessment at the Linda McCartney Centre.

He said: "Because of Rebecca’s hard work and dedication, we can now ensure that patients receive an additional service, not available in many other places, following cancer treatment at the centre."

Only a handful of NHS trusts provide the tattooing service and the techniques used to reconstruct the nipple are relatively new in the UK.

The service has been made possible thanks to the charitable work of the Coogan family.

Liz and Steve Coogan organised a number of social evenings for family and friends and their son, Kevin, also completed a half marathon. This raised more than £4,000, which has been used to purchase the specialist equipment needed to perform the procedure.

Mrs Coogan, who has been treated at the centre herself, said: "The work of the doctors and nurses at the Linda McCartney Centre is excellent and very much valued by patients.

"Hopefully, by raising this money to support the new service, my family and I have helped the medical team to make a difference to many women."

lizawilliams