All The Basics About Breast Lump Surgery

1. All The Basics About Breast Lump Surgery Surgery to remove a lump that may be breast cancer is known as breast lump surgery. A lumpectomy or excisional breast biopsy is the medical term for this procedure. In a few cases, the doctor cannot feel the lump while examining the patient. It is visible on imaging results, though. A wire localization will be performed in this instance prior to breast lump surgery. A needlewire (or needlewires) will be inserted into or close to the abnormal breast region by a radiologist using mammography or ultrasound. This will make it easier for the surgeon to locate the tumor and remove it. Most of the time, breast lump surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure. Either local anesthetic or general anesthesia will be administered to you (you are awake, but sedated and pain-free). The entire process lasts roughly an hour. Your breast receives a minor cut from the surgeon. The malignancy is removed, along with some surrounding healthy breast tissue. To ensure that all malignancy has been removed from the tissue, a pathologist examines a sample of the excised tissue. A clear margin occurs when there are no cancer cells identified close to the borders of the excised tissue. To check if cancer has spread there, your surgeon may also remove some or all of the lymph nodes in your armpit. To identify the area where tissue has been removed, tiny metal clips may occasionally be inserted inside the breast. This makes the region visible on upcoming mammograms. When necessary, it also aids in directing radiation therapy. The doctor will sew up your skin. These stitches will dissolve later. Why is breast lump surgery performed? Surgery to remove breast cancer is most often the first step in treatment. The choice of which breast lump surgery is best for you can be difficult. It may be hard to know whether lumpectomy or mastectomy (removal of the entire breast) is best. You and the providers who are treating your breast cancer will decide together. In general: • Lumpectomy is often preferred for smaller breast lumps. This is because it is a smaller procedure and it has about the same chance of curing breast cancer as a mastectomy. It is a good option as you get to keep most of your breast tissue that has not been affected by cancer. • Mastectomy to remove all breast tissue may be done if the area of cancer is too large or there are multiple tumors that cannot be removed without deforming the breast. You and your provider should consider:

2. • The size of your tumor • Where it is in your breast • If there is more than one tumor • How much of the breast is affected • The size of your breasts in relation to the tumor • Your age • Your family history • Your general health, including whether you have reached menopause • If you are pregnant Risks Risks for surgery are: • Bleeding • Infection • Poor wound healing • Heart attack, stroke, death • Reactions to medicines • Risks associated with general anesthesia The appearance of your breast may change after surgery. You may notice dimpling, a scar, or a difference in shape between your breasts. Also, the area of the breast around the incision may be numb. You may need another procedure to remove more breast tissue if tests show the cancer is too close to the edge of the tissue already removed.