Breast Cancer Surgeon Strives to Help Women Feel Whole Again
Dr. Elizabeth Ferguson, a reconstructive plastic surgeon at Valleywise Health, has one single goal, but it is an enormous one. She wants to help women dealing with breast cancer feel whole again.
For more than 14 years, Dr. Ferguson has been an integral part of the women’s health initiative at Valleywise Health. Like her peers, she is a clinician committed to taking care of the often-overlooked populations in the community, including patients who don’t have resources like insurance or documentation and may not be able to get healthcare elsewhere.
“Technically, this position was my first job out of fellowship, but I found my home at Valleywise,” said Dr. Ferguson. “When I was in medical school, I never thought breast reconstruction would be my primary practice, but there is something magical about helping someone feel like themselves again. I don’t have to tell a patient they have cancer or manage their treatment plan, but I can ask them what will help them get to the other side of their journey and make it happen.”
According to Dr. Ferguson, most of the women she performs surgery on after a breast cancer diagnosis aren’t looking to be on the cover of a magazine, they just want to feel good walking through their lives.
“Surprisingly, one of the things I hear most often from patients is that they want to be able to hug their loved ones without feeling self-conscious,” she said. “One of my greatest joys as a physician is making patients feel physically whole so that they can love their family and friends the way they want to. Hugging is an important part of that equation.”
Dr. Ferguson treats breast cancer patients at various stages throughout their cancer journey. While many patients are at the final stage of their treatment when they encounter Dr. Ferguson, others need surgery to heal a wound and move on to the next stage of treatment.
“I wish I could say that all reconstructive plastic surgery for breast cancer patients is making beautiful natural breasts, but sometimes my only goal is achieving a healed wound so a patient can survive to the next phase of their treatment,” said Dr. Ferguson. “Often, patients can’t get chemotherapy or radiation until their wound is healed, so a lot of my work involves complex closures of large chest wall defects, which are necessary for the next step in treatment.”
As part of the all-female oncology and radiology team at Valleywise Health, Dr. Ferguson feels inspired by the women she works with every day in treating Arizona’s most vulnerable patients at a very challenging time in their lives. Most people served in the Valleywise Health breast cancer clinic are minorities. Many are non-English-speaking and uninsured women who would not have access to care elsewhere.
“I think it’s important for us to remember that every single one of us is a series of unfortunate events away from finding ourselves uninsured, homeless and not having the resources to seek care during a medical crisis,” Dr. Ferguson concluded. “Our patients are just like us – they are humans who love, who dream, who hope and who want to live a long, healthy life. I feel honored to play a part in their care.”
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