A specialized breast reconstruction camp at Mulago National Specialized Hospital is restoring hope to women living with mastectomy scars and physical deformities.
Led by Dr. Irene Asaba Mugisha, head of the plastic and reconstructive surgery unit, the camp is providing breast reconstruction and reduction surgeries free of charge. For many beneficiaries, the procedures often unaffordable in routine care are a critical step in physical and emotional recovery.
The initiative, a collaboration between Mulago hospital and Interplast Netherlands, targets women who have completed chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Agnes Gasi, 49, traveled from Arua district seeking to feel “whole” again after losing a breast to cancer in 2015. Speaking through her sister-in-law, Gasi said the surgery was about reclaiming her dignity and femininity, despite having already raised five children.
“She used to feel incomplete walking in public,” her sister-in-law said, describing her relief after the procedure. The camp also treated Joy Nakimuli from the Ssese Islands in Kalangala district, who suffered from macromastia, a condition in which excessively large breasts cause chronic pain.
After years of back, shoulder and chest pain that limited her daily activities, Nakimuli traveled to Mulago after seeing a flyer on WhatsApp. Following surgery Wednesday, she said the pain had subsided.
Asaba Mugisha said the psychological impact of breast loss is often overlooked in cancer care.
“We felt that this is a neglected group of patients who have undergone so much trauma,” she said. “Many have never been told that reconstruction is possible.”
Breast reconstruction is a complex procedure, typically lasting three to six hours. Surgeons often use the patient’s own tissue, usually from the abdomen or back, to rebuild the breast.
The surgical team expects to perform between 13 and 15 procedures by the end of the week. Dr. Yenda Hop, a volunteer plastic surgeon from Rotterdam who has worked in Uganda for seven years, said such collaborations help build local capacity.
“By doing these surgeries together, we are ensuring the skills are adapted here,” he said. “Eventually, our help won’t be needed.” In Uganda’s private sector, breast reconstruction can cost more than 15 million shillings ($4,000), placing it out of reach for many patients.
While the weeklong camp cannot meet the national demand, Asaba Mugisha said plans are underway to expand plastic surgery services to regional referral hospitals.
She also sought to dispel common myths about the procedure.
“Women are often told cancer will return in the new breast or that the outcome will not look acceptable. That is not true,” she said. “We aim to restore a natural appearance and improve quality of life.”
