Multidisciplinarity: the common thread of contemporary medicine

In recent years, the concept of multidisciplinarity has become one of the pillars of modern medicine. It is not merely about bringing together different skills, but about building shared care pathways in which every decision arises from dialogue among specialists and takes into account the complexity of the person, not just the disease.

The multidisciplinary approach goes beyond the single-practitioner model and is based on structured teams capable of integrating surgery, medical therapies, diagnostics, psychological support, and rehabilitation. This model improves clinical outcomes, reduces complications, and accompanies the patient throughout the entire journey, from diagnosis to follow-up.

Today, this way of working is applied in many fields, from oncology to plastic surgery, and even to the management of chronic diseases.

In the treatment of breast cancer, multidisciplinarity is now an internationally recognised standard. Breast Units were created precisely to concentrate expertise and experience, offering patients a coordinated and continuous care pathway. «Once a week, a multidisciplinary meeting is held to jointly decide on the most appropriate treatment strategy for each patient – explains Professor Vittorio Altomare, head of the Breast Unit at the Fondazione Policlinico Campus Biomedico in Rome – The literature shows that those who turn to breast care centers have an 18–20% higher chance of recovery compared to those who rely on a single professional. This is a significant percentage, and it is made possible thanks to multidisciplinarity».

Breast Units and breast cancer: the strength of the team

The care pathway does not involve surgery alone. In specialized centers, collaboration among specialists is essential. «By now, in all hospitals that deal with breast cancer, there are units called Breast Units. They are based precisely on teamwork – says Dr. Federica Augelli, reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgeon at Niguarda Hospital in Milan – Within them you find the oncologist, radiotherapist, nutritionist, psychologist, plastic surgeon. Everyone contributes something valuable so that the patient never feels alone. Modern medicine does not treat only the disease, this must be remembered, but seeks to care for the person as a whole, addressing not only physical health but also mental and psychological well-being».

The multidisciplinary approach goes beyond organisational choice. It promotes better clinical, aesthetic, and psychological outcomes. Dr. Dante Palli, director of the Complex Operative Unit of Breast Surgery and the Breast Unit of the Piacenza Health Authority, states: «A woman who relies on a Breast Unit has about a 20% higher chance of recovery compared to a woman who relies on isolated professionals who do not work as a team. Discussing cases and working side by side every day leads to better therapies, not only surgical but also oncological. Having dedicated professionals means greater experience, and from experience comes better care».

Multidisciplinarity in body contouring

Multidisciplinarity is also central to body contouring in patients who undergo significant weight loss. In these cases, surgery represents only one part of a broader pathway that must take into account the physical and psychological conditions of the person.

Vincenzo Vindigni, full professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Padua, has emphasised that treatment cannot be limited to plastic surgery alone. «The integrated approach implies the involvement of specialists from different fields, from nutrition to psychology, and even physical exercise, to ensure better and longer-lasting results».

In Padua, the medical team has developed a model that includes a comprehensive evaluation of the patient’s health status, encompassing nutritional and psychological aspects. Nutraceuticals, that is, the use of specific natural supplements that contribute beneficial effects to the body to improve healing and postoperative well-being, are one of the key elements of this pathway.

Lymphedema: personalised treatments and an integrated approach

In lymphedema surgery, multidisciplinarity is indispensable. Lymphedema is a complex condition that cannot be addressed with a single standard solution. «Lymphedema surgery is not one-size-fits-all – emphasises Dr. Alex Pontini, plastic surgeon at Alto Vicentino Hospital – There is no single surgical procedure capable of solving the problem on its own.” Rather, it involves “different surgical techniques that must be personalised for each patient, considering all possible approaches and the entire condition treated surgically».

Comprehensive patient care, integrating surgery, rehabilitation, nutritional assessment, and psychological support, makes it possible to achieve more effective and sustainable results over time.

Gynaecological cancers: more expertise for greater safety

In the treatment of ovarian cancer, multidisciplinarity is increasingly intertwined with therapeutic personalisation. Dr. Alessandro Buda, head of gynaecologic oncology and obstetrics at Michele and Pietro Ferrero Hospital in Verduno, states: «Today we can no longer avoid personalising treatments. Each patient must be studied according to her genetic and molecular profile to identify the most effective therapies». A pathway that «optimises the benefits of standard treatments, reduces toxicity, and improves quality of life».

Centers specialised in the treatment of gynaecological cancers offer access to clinical trials, from which, together with experimental drugs, new treatment opportunities arise for patients.

«The surgeon, who has a very important dedicated role; the medical therapy expert, whether a gynaecologist or a medical oncologist, but in any case an expert in that disease. And without forgetting a whole series of figures who are not accessory but necessary: the dedicated pathologist who tells us what tumor we are treating, the molecular biologist who tells us which subtype we are dealing with, as well as the psycho-oncologist, the research nurse, and the dedicated radiologist», explains Professor Domenica Lorusso, head of the gynaecologic oncology program at Humanitas in Milan.

Multidisciplinarity also becomes essential when cancer care intersects with the desire for motherhood. Dr. Fabio Martinelli, head of surgical gynaecologic oncology at Humanitas Pio X, recounts: «If it becomes necessary to remove the ovaries or adnexa, we can resort to assisted reproduction techniques. This is a pathway we discuss with all young patients with an oncological diagnosis, to see whether it is possible to build a personalized pathway within a multidisciplinary team that deals with surgery, oncological treatment, fertility preservation, and ensures or offers them a reproductive chance for the future».

Multidisciplinarity and palliative care

The evolution of oncology is also changing the role of palliative care and hospices, which today are increasingly integrated into a multidisciplinary care pathway. According to Dr. Giovanni Moruzzi, oncologist, head of the hospice of the Provincial Health Authority of Siracusa and president of the CIAO association (Interdisciplinary Center for Oncological Listening), «Oncology is offering more and more answers in terms of disease control, even for conditions that until a few years ago were considered incurable, with a very short prognosis. As a result, the role of hospices is evolving, becoming not only a place of accompaniment but also a point of reference for support and care, alongside oncological treatments and specialised facilities».

Traditional oncological therapies are thus complemented by support that goes beyond the purely medical dimension, also encompassing the patient’s psychological, social, and spiritual well-being.

Closing the circle, multidisciplinarity is confirmed as the guiding thread of contemporary medicine: from early diagnosis to the management of the most advanced stages of disease, the goal remains the same, to care for the person as a whole, adapting pathways to needs that change over time.