WHAT HAPPENS DURING MASTECTOMY SUGERY?
Mastectomy with axillary dissection can take 2-3 hours. If reconstruction is performed at the same time, surgery will take longer…
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT DURING BREAST CONSERVING (LUMPECTOMY RECOVERY?
Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) removes the cancer and just enough tissue to get all the cancer. For 1 or 2 days after the surgery, you will probably feel tired and have some pain. The skin around the cut (incision) may feel firm, swollen, and tender, and be bruised…
WHAT IS A PRE-PECTORAL BREAST RECONSTRUCTION?
…The pre-pectoral procedure is the most minimally invasive breast reconstruction option. Your doctor can perform a mastectomy by removing breast tissue through a small incision underneath the breast. Through this incision, a tissue expander can be placed on top of the muscle to create a breast mound…
WHAT IS A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY?
…Double mastectomy is sometimes done as a risk-reducing (or preventive) surgery for women at very high risk for getting breast cancer, such as those with a BRCA gene mutation…
WHAT IS A SKIN-SPARING MASTECTOMY?
In this procedure, most of the skin over the breast is left place. Only the breast tissue, nipple, and areola are removed. The amount of breast tissue removed is the same as with a simple mastectomy…
WHAT IS A RADICAL MASTECTOMY?
…The surgeon removes the entire breast, axillary (underarm) lymph nodes, and the pectoral (chest wall) muscles under the breast. This surgery was once very common, but less extensive surgery (such as the modified radical mastectomy) has been found to be just as effective and with fewer side effects. This operation might be done if the tumor is growing into the pectoral muscles.
WHAT IS A MODIFIED RADICAL MASTECTOMY
A modified radical mastectomy combines a simple mastectomy with the removal of the lymph nodes under the arm (called an axillary lymph node dissection).
WHAT IS A SIMPLE/TOTAL MASTECTOMY
In this procedure, the surgeon removes the entire breast, including the nipple, areola, fascia (covering) of the pectoralis major muscle (main chest muscle), and skin…
WHEN IS A MASTECTOMY RECOMMENDED?
When a woman cannot be treated with breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), which saves most of the breast…
WHEN IS A BILATERAL MASTECTOMY RECOMMENDED?
Having both breasts removed is recommended for women at very high risk of breast cancer. For example, those who have tested positive for a breast cancer (BRCA) gene change are at very high risk…
