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Many people have questions about recovering from breast cancer surgery.

​In the video featured here, Tari King, MD, Chief of Breast Surgery at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, addresses the most common questions

Common Types of Breast Cancer Surgery

There are three common types of surgery for breast cancer:
Breast Conservation Surgery

Lumpectomy— also known as wide excision or partial mastectomy — involves surgical removal of the cancer with a rim of normal tissue. Lumpectomy may be an option when the cancer is localized to one area of the breast. The benefits of lumpectomy include the conservation of the breast and nipple, and the surgery is as effective in treating cancer as a mastectomy in appropriate candidates. In most cases, radiation treatment is recommended following lumpectomy.
Learn more about this procedure.
Mastectomy

Mastectomy (removal of the entire breast) may be medically necessary if the cancer has spread beyond a single mass. It may also be necessary when early stage cancer exists in multiple locations. In some cases, choosing mastectomy over lumpectomy may make further radiation treatment unnecessary. There are four types of mastectomies: total, modified, skin sparing, and nipple sparing.
  • Total (or simple) mastectomy is a surgical procedure that removes all of the breast tissue. This can be done in a skin-sparing fashion to leave a skin envelope for reconstructive surgery.
  • Modified radical mastectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the entire breast and the lymph nodes under the arm.
  • Skin-sparing mastectomy is a technique that preserves as much of the breast skin as possible for reconstruction. It can be performed as a "simple" or "total" mastectomy or as a modified radical mastectomy. During this procedure, the surgeon removes only the skin of the nipple, areola and the original biopsy scar, and then removes the breast tissue through the small opening that has been created. The remaining pouch of skin provides the best form and shape for an implant or a reconstruction using your own tissue. Many adults choose this type of mastectomy to achieve the best results from immediate breast reconstruction.
  • Nipple-sparing mastectomy can be performed in those having prophylactic (preventative) surgery and in selected adults with known breast cancer. While mastectomy traditionally involves removing the breast tissue as well as the nipple-areolar complex, in this procedure the nipple and areola are left intact, with removal of the breast tissue just under the nipple.This may improve the cosmetic appearance of breast reconstruction and may improve patient satisfaction and is felt to be safe for preventing and treating early stage breast cancer.

Your surgeon will help you understand the options available to you, and will work with you and your team to ensure the best possible outcomes, relative both to your health and to your appearance.

Learn more about this procedure. ​

Lymph Node Surgery

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is the removal of one or a few of the first draining lymph nodes (glands under the arm) to determine whether cancer cells have spread beyond the breast.

Axillary lymph node dissection is the removal of the level I and II nodes below the axillary vein and close to the breast. This procedure may be performed if your doctor has determined that your cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm. It is usually done at the same time as a mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery.

Learn more about lymph node surgery. 

Reconstructive Surgery

If it's part of your treatment, breast removal (mastectomy) can feel like a major change to your body and how you feel about it. Reconstructive breast surgery can help many adults feel better about their appearance and the changes they experienced.

Reconstruction options can be discussed with a plastic surgeon. Our breast reconstruction surgeons offer a full range of breast reconstruction options, including staged implant/expander reconstruction, TRAM (transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous) flap, LAT (latissimus dorsi) flap, and advanced procedures such as DIEP (deep inferior epigastric perforators) flap, and SGAP (superior gluteal artery perforator) flap.

The pros and cons of various plastic and reconstructive procedures offered after breast cancer surgery are highlighted in the video below.
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​You may choose not to have reconstruction or be advised to delay reconstruction to improve your long-term results. Either way, your doctor can prescribe a breast prosthesis (an artificial breast made of silicone, which fits inside a bra). 
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If you are considering reconstruction, talk with your doctor about what to expect from the surgery/surgeries and recovery before you make your final decision. Susan G. Komen has compiled this helpful list of questions that you can use as a guide:
Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Reconstructive Breast Surgery
File Size: 89 kb
File Type: pdf
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​Some women who have breast reconstruction opt to have a 3-dimensional nipple tattooed onto their breast instead of having one built from other tissues. Talk to your surgeon if you would like more information about this option.