Plastic surgeon offers free surgery for TikTok creator with rare breast condition

JOHANNESBURG - Moved by the story of Michelle Sekwena, a TikTok creator who has been struggling with a rare illness called Gigastomasia, plastic surgeon Dr. Nombulelo Metuse has launched a pro bono initiative to offer breast reduction services free of charge.

Sekwena’s story garnered public interest after she shared her struggle with the condition on the popular social media platform.  

“2024 was a really bad year for me. It started with a rare illness named Gigastomasia and I had no idea because it’s not genetic. I was a size 32B cup size. My breasts started hurting so bad, changed into a reddish colour," she explained.

She shared that the situation got so bad, she didn’t know what bra size to wear as her breasts were big and painful. “People would think I’m pregnant and I would get weird stares. My confidence went down to zero.”

Gigastomasia is an illness that causes breasts to become abnormally large due to excessive tissue growth. The best form of treatment or relief is often surgery.

Metuse became aware of the case after an anaesthesiologist she works with, shared a link to the TikTok video with her.

"I realised, from a service provider's perspective, that Michelle may have already tried seeking help in the public healthcare system, but breast reduction surgery isn't cheap. In the public sector, it can take up to three to five years to receive assistance due to long waiting lists," Dr Metuse explained.

"I thought, maybe she's been dealing with this for so long—perhaps there's something I can do to help."

As part of the pro-bono project, Dr Metuse, a leading expert in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, will provide one free breast reduction surgery per month to qualifying patients for the remainder of 2025.

Sekwana will be one of the recipients of the procedure. 

Dr Metuse noted that the procedure typically costs more than R110,000 due to various fees, including the hospital's charges (which are billed per minute in the operating rooms), the anaesthesiologist’s fee, the surgeon's fee, and the assistant's fee.

"That's when I decided to step in and see what I could do. I worked out a way to waive my fee, and the anaesthesiologist agreed to waive their fee as well," she said. 

"I then reached out to the medical clinic where I work, and they approved the initiative. We've escalated it to the head office, and while we're still waiting for final approval, I'll personally cover the hospital costs to ensure the recipient doesn’t have to pay anything."

The surgeries will take place at the Mediclinic in Pretoria.

Dr. Metuse explained that the procedure involves a hospital stay of about three and a half hours for the operation, followed by an overnight stay for recovery. Full recovery typically takes around three weeks.

To ensure the best outcomes, Dr. Metuse has created a medical questionnaire to help select suitable candidates.

“We’re looking for patients with a low risk of complications, so they don’t need a prolonged hospital stay,” she said. 

“We prefer healthy individuals, but if someone has a medical condition, it must be well-controlled. It’s not an exclusion, but it helps to understand the patient's overall health.”

Dr. Metuse also emphasized the importance of minimizing risk during recovery. 
"We will assess whether the individual smokes, as smoking can lengthen the recovery period. We want to ensure a quicker and smoother recovery."

After the selection process, Dr. Metuse will conduct an in-person consultation to confirm that the selected candidates are a good fit for the surgery.

“This is a life-changing opportunity for those who need it most,” she said.

Dr. Metuse is the first Black female plastic and reconstructive surgeon to graduate from the University of Pretoria. With over twelve years of service in the public sector and five years in private practice.