The Milton District Hospital is welcoming a new plastic surgeon.
Dr. Christine Nicholas will be joining the MDH’s surgical team. Chief of Surgery for the MDH, Kevin Kwan, talks about the skills that Dr. Nicholas is bringing to Milton.
“[She has] a unique and very valuable surgical skill set including Breast Reconstruction and Melanoma Plastic Surgery to our hospital and community. She rounds out our roster of specialists at MDH and is a very welcome addition to the surgical team.”
Dr. Nicholas talks about what drove her to get into plastic surgery.
“I wanted to be an orthopaedic surgeon until I discovered plastic surgery and the variety of possibilities it had to offer. Plastic surgery requires very intricate, creative and detailed-oriented work which suits me well – as that’s the type of person I am. I also realized that you could do a lot of meaningful work through plastic surgery, particularly in oncology which is why I focused all my subspecialty training in that field.”
While Dr. Nicholas performs general cosmetic surgeries and essential medical procedures such as hand surgeries, amputations, burns, nerve surgery and wound management, the main focus of her practice is breast reconstruction and skin cancer, including melanoma sentinel node biopsies and excisions. In fact, she has already started providing melanoma node biopsies at MDH so patients no longer have to travel elsewhere to get this vital diagnostic procedure. This procedure was previously unavailable at Halton Healthcare.
”I was hired to build a breast reconstruction program at Milton District Hospital. Given my interest and background in oncology, this practice opportunity allows me to apply my unique skill set,” says the Aurora-native. “I am passionate about my work and I feel strongly about making a real difference in my oncology patients’ lives.
“We need to shine a light on the importance of breast reconstruction surgery for patients undergoing breast cancer. Eradicating the cancer is vital but for some women the physical changes arising from surgery can be very traumatic psychologically,” explains Dr. Nicholas. “Breast reconstruction surgery can help get these patients through this difficult time and make them feel more comfortable in their own body.”
Dr. Nicholas completed her undergraduate studies in Science and Business at the University of Waterloo. She earned her medical degree at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry in May 2014. She subsequently completed a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency Training Program in 2019 at the University of Western Ontario, as well as a Plastic Surgery Oncology Fellowship and a Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction and Melanoma Fellowship, both in 2020 at the University of Calgary.
“Milton District Hospital is one of the friendliest and most welcoming hospitals I have ever worked at. We have an excellent medical team here, I know all the nurses’ names and we work together really well – a very enjoyable work experience all round,” notes Dr. Nicholas. “I have recently opened my practice in Milton and I look forward to serving the community.”
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