At the 4th Breast Clinic, the most up-to-date international protocols are strictly followed, incorporating all advanced diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Surgical oncology is combined with state-of-the-art oncoplastic techniques and the most innovative immediate breast reconstruction approaches. Patients receive the same diagnostic and therapeutic options as those treated in leading breast centers worldwide.
This is ensured by the fact that the Director of the Clinic, Dr. Stergios Douvetzemis, has specialized in Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgery at the internationally renowned Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, where he subsequently had the honor of working for several years as Consultant Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgeon and Clinical Governance Lead. At the same time, he served as Consultant Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgeon at University Hospital Lewisham.
Dr. Douvetzemis has obtained the official European certification from UEMS in Breast Surgery (FEBS), after successfully passing, on his first attempt, the written and oral pan-European examinations (EBSQ). Notably, since 2021 he has had the honor of serving as an examiner for UEMS for the awarding of European certification to breast surgeons—an honor held by only a small number of breast surgeons worldwide, as selection is based on very strict criteria.
He was also among the first breast surgeons in Europe to obtain the European certification from BRESO in Breast Surgical Oncology (CEBS).
Dr. Douvetzemis is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS) and a Senior Lecturer at the Medical School of King’s College London. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the Medical School of University of Nicosia, Deputy Academic Lead for all hospitals of the HHG group (Hygeia, Metropolitan Hospital, Metropolitan General, Mitera), and Clinical Lead for the education of medical students in breast surgery across all HHG hospitals.
Dr. Douvetzemis is a graduate of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, where he also completed his PhD. Prior to his specialization in Breast Surgery, he trained in General Surgery at the 4th Surgical Department of Evangelismos General Hospital. He is also a scientific associate at the Laboratory of Anatomy and Surgical Anatomy “Anatomy Lab” of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
He actively participates in international conferences and seminars and contributes to the education of undergraduate and postgraduate medical students at the University of Athens, the University of Nicosia, and King’s College London. His work has been published in international medical journals, and he is the author of chapters in international medical textbooks.
Services
- Detailed personal and family history assessment
- Breast cancer risk assessment and genetic testing when indicated
- Comprehensive clinical breast examination
- Diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant breast conditions
- Breast surgical oncology consultation
- Oncoplastic breast surgery consultation
- Preventive breast screening
- Follow-up of high-risk patients (genetic mutations, strong family history)
- Follow-up of breast cancer patients
Comprehensive imaging assessment in collaboration with the Breast Imaging Center of Metropolitan General, performed when clinically indicated:
- Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNAc)
- Ultrasound-guided core biopsy
- Stereotactic vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB)
- Full range of oncological, oncoplastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic breast surgery
Surgical Procedures
At the 4th Breast Clinic, the full spectrum of oncological, oncoplastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic breast surgical procedures is performed, in accordance with the standards of leading breast centers abroad. Specifically:
- All standard oncological breast procedures, including hook-wire biopsy of calcifications (when vacuum-assisted biopsy is not feasible), biopsy of breast lesions with or without hook-wire localization, wide local excision (lumpectomy), and mastectomy
- All complex oncoplastic procedures. In our Clinic, oncological safety is the top priority, while at the same time emphasis is placed on breast conservation, which is achieved in the vast majority of cases through the use of oncoplastic surgery. This approach is applied in cases of large or multiple tumors, where in the past mastectomy would have been the only option. Oncoplastic surgery is also used to correct deformities resulting from previous surgeries or to achieve breast symmetry. It combines the principles of surgical oncology with plastic surgery to provide optimal oncological and aesthetic outcomes. The well-established fact that oncological safety must always be the priority should no longer justify suboptimal aesthetic results, as in the long term—once patients have been cured, the aesthetic outcome plays a significant role in their quality of life
- All axillary surgical procedures, including sentinel lymph node biopsy, targeted axillary dissection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and axillary lymph node dissection
- All implant-based breast reconstruction techniques using implants or tissue expanders. In cases where breast conservation is not feasible and mastectomy is required, emphasis is placed on immediate breast reconstruction in a single-stage procedure, using a permanent implant placed above the pectoralis major muscle, with or without the use of an acellular dermal matrix (ADM). This technique is now considered the gold standard in leading breast centers worldwide, and Dr. Douvetzemis is among the pioneers who have been applying it extensively since 2016 in London
- All autologous breast reconstruction techniques using free tissue flaps, in collaboration with a plastic surgeon specialized in microsurgery, with whom Dr. Douvetzemis also collaborated in London. This technique is also considered a gold standard in major breast centers worldwide
- Prophylactic mastectomy procedures with immediate reconstruction using implants or autologous free flaps in high-risk patients (carriers of genetic mutations, women with a strong family history)
- Lipomodelling (liposuction and fat grafting to the breast)
- The full range of aesthetic breast surgery, including augmentation, mastopexy (breast lift), reduction, and correction of congenital deformities
Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Our Clinic collaborates with:
- The hospital’s Oncology Board
- The Breast Center of Metropolitan General, which is equipped with a specialized breast radiologist, a state-of-the-art mammography system with tomosynthesis, and high-resolution ultrasound with elastography
- The hospital’s Department of Medical Imaging, equipped with a latest-generation 3 Tesla MRI scanner and an advanced CT scanner
- The Department of Nuclear Medicine for sentinel lymph node biopsy and diagnostic procedures
- The hospital’s accredited Pathology Laboratory for percutaneous biopsies and surgical specimen analysis
- The Physiotherapy Center of Metropolitan General
- A specialized psychiatrist and clinical psychologist/psychotherapist, when required
- Medical oncologists and radiation oncologists