The National Cancer Institute (NCI), Nagpur, organised a Live Scapula Flap Demonstration and Micro workshop on Head & Neck Onco reconstruction at its Jamtha campus. The event marked a significant milestone, with a complex scapula flap reconstructive procedure performed live for the first time in Nagpur. Prof. Dushyant Jaiswal, Professor of Plastic and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, was the guest faculty and performed the complex procedure, demonstrating advanced microsurgical techniques for reconstruction following head and neck cancer surgery. The workshop was organised with the involvement of the Central India Association of Plastic Surgeons (CIPS), led by President Dr Dhananjay Nakade and Secretary Dr Parikshit Janai. It was supported by Dr Gopal Gurjar, Head of Surgical Oncology at NCI, and

 

Dr Anand Pathak, Medical Director, NCI, under the patronage of Advocate Sunil Manohar, President, NCI, Shailesh Joglekar, General Secretary and CEO, NCI and Anand Aurangabadkar, Treasurer, NCI. Highlighting the importance of reconstruction, the programme addressed how surgery for cancers of the cheek and jaw, particularly in young patients, can affect facial appearance, speech, chewing, and eating. Advanced reconstructive techniques help restore facial contour and function, enabling patients to return to everyday life with greater confidence and dignity. Dr Abhishek Vaidya, Head & Neck cancer surgeon at NCI, delivered a lecture on “Mandibulectomy and the Need for Bony Reconstruction”, and performed the cancer excision surgery. Dr Pranam Sadawarte, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at NCI, said, “The scapula flap offers a versatile option for complex head and neck defects, allowing reconstruction to be tailored to each patient’s needs.” Dr Krishna Prasad, Dr Sumit Gathe, and Dr Prachet Dakshinkar made valuable contributions to the planning and execution of the workshop.