Types of Breast Surgery

If a woman has been diagnosed with a cancer then the doctor is best to tell about the most appropriate surgery required. Moreover the deciding factor of what kind of surgery you need is the size of cancer and how far it has spread. You can take a second opinion if you are not satisfied with the answer or the decision of the surgeon. In fact you should always go for a second opinion.

The different types of surgeries are:

-Lumpectomy
-Segmentectomy
-Mastectomy

There is not much difference between Lumpectomy and Segmentectomy. Lumpectomy (breast conserving) is surgery to remove a breast tumor (the lump) and some of the surrounding tissue. It is also known as breast preservation surgery. The amount of tissue removed can vary from person to person. You need to discuss with your doctor on all the aspects of lumpectomy before going for it. Radiation therapy is often administered after lumpectomy to destroy the cancer cells, if any left behind after surgery. Segmentectomy involves removal of the larger part of the breast tissue.

If the cancer has spread too much or the breast is too small and will get deformed after surgery then Mastectomy is recommended. Mastectomy is total removal of breast. It is of three types- total Mastectomy (removes only the breast tissue), Modified radical Mastectomy (removes the breast and lymph nodes under the arm and leaves the major chest wall muscles intact); Radical Mastectomy removes the muscles also on the chest wall.

Women can have breast reconstruction immediately after Mastectomy or it can be done after sometime. The reconstruction is done by a plastic surgeon. You can discuss the different methods with your doctor. Whatever you and your doctor both narrow down to should be gone for.

Remember, cancer is a very serious diesease and everything related to it should be considered with a magnitude of concern.