Dr. Ramin Kholdebarin says it’s important for anyone living with breast cancer to be able to receive surgical care in their home community, something he’s now very happy to provide in Sechelt.
Kholdebarin is the first breast cancer surgeon at Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital since 2018, when the previous cancer surgeon left and the work stopped. Kholdebarin is a general surgeon who also performs intra-abdominal surgery, such as gallbladder, appendix, hernia and endoscopy. His specialty also includes colon and skin cancer surgery.
“When we moved here in 2022, I was interested in restarting the program. Because, as you know, breast cancer is very common. It's the most common type of cancer among women and the incidences increase with age,” Kholdebarin told Coast Reporter during a phone interview. “So, in our community, which is somewhat older, it's a very common type of cancer and I thought it was very important to have a breast cancer program here.”
He says it took almost a year to get the needed equipment, so his first breast cancer surgery at Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital took place near the end of 2022, but the program really launched in 2023.
“Cancer can be a difficult diagnosis. It's really a journey, because you're going through multiple different stages of diagnosis and treatment,” said Kholdebarin. “So, it's very helpful for patients to be closer to home, closer to their support system and their family, whereas before, people had to go to Vancouver for their procedures. I think this does make a big difference for people to be able to have their treatment where they live.”
Another way Kholdebarin is making life easier for breast cancer patients is by embracing a new technology called Savi Scout, which pinpoints tumours prior to lumpectomy surgery. He said previously, patients scheduled for a lumpectomy would have to arrive at the hospital early and visit radiology, where a wire would be inserted into the breast where the tumour was located. Kholdebarin describes the process as painful and awkward, due to the wire sticking out of their breast.
Kholdebarin explains with Savi Scout, the radiologist puts a small seed (a small metallic marker) next to the tumour in the breast, which eliminates the need for a wire. Surgeons use a hand-held device that emits a tiny radar signal to find the reflector and the problematic lump to be removed. Savi Scout is particularly effective for finding small or deep tumours.
Making it even more effective, the seed can be inserted days or even weeks ahead of surgery, which makes it easier to schedule and patients can decrease their time in the hospital, it increases the lumpectomies’ success rate and potentially reduces the amount of healthy breast tissue removed.
“The medicine is always advancing and we would like to have the best treatment available for patients here in Sechelt,” says Kholdebarin. “So, we were able to get this technology and I think patients really appreciate being able to have their treatment locally.”
Kholdebarin, who grew up in Burnaby, studied medicine in Ottawa, completed his residency in Manitoba and headed back to Ottawa for his fellowship but, he says, B.C. kept calling him back. Married with two small children by then, the family moved to Quesnel for three years before relocating to Sechelt, where the couple had another child two years ago.
He wants other doctors contemplating a move to the Sunshine Coast to understand that when it comes to work/life balance, he’s enjoying the best of both worlds. Kholdebarin notes while his work schedule is busy, he’s still home at a decent time every day.
“And there's a lot of places to go hiking. It's beautiful, you're next to the ocean. It’s very unique in that sense, the nature and how beautiful it is. It’s also a great place to raise kids,” he said.
He adds the couple’s children attend a small community school situated in the heart of nature, which offers outdoor programs.
“They go to the beach in the spring, so it's a very unique education. And it's a lovely community and everybody's very close. My wife is quite involved with the school there as well and everybody's been very welcoming. It’s just a great place to raise kids.”
