Overview

Surgery for Breast Cancer

Everyone has a unique relationship with their breasts. That’s why our surgeons create personalized surgical treatment plans for each patient. They will work with you to deliver compassionate care based on your needs.

There are three main categories of surgery for breast cancer:

  • Breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy) to remove the cancer and some normal tissue around it, but not the whole breast. This is a common treatment option for breast cancer.
  • Mastectomy to remove an entire breast and/or reconstruction surgeries to recreate the look of a breast.
  • Lymph node biopsy to determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.

Types of Mastectomies

Total Mastectomy

This surgery removes the whole breast that has cancer. Your surgeon may also remove some of the lymph nodes under your arm through a separate incision. Your care team will check the lymph nodes for cancer. They may do this at the same time as the breast surgery, or later.

  • Single mastectomy removes one breast.
  • Double mastectomy removes both.

Skin-Sparing Mastectomies

Your surgeon will remove all breast tissue, but not the skin or the nipples. If your surgeon finds cancer cells in the skin or nipples, they may recommend a total mastectomy.

Modified Radical Mastectomy

This surgery removes:

  • The whole breast that has cancer
  • Many of the lymph nodes under your arm

Reconstruction

Treating your breast cancer is our top priority. But we are also here to help you feel like yourself again after treatment. If you want, your physician and care team will create a plan for reconstruction after mastectomy to rebuild the shape of your breasts.

Breast reconstruction is always an option, but the timing is up to you and your care team. Timing can be based on your treatment plan, preference and health. Breast reconstruction is often a multi-step process.

Breast reconstruction may be performed as a partial surgery (one breast) or bilateral (both breasts) surgery.

Natural (Tissue Flap)

Natural, or tissue flap, reconstruction uses your own tissue to rebuild your breasts.

  • Oncoplastic reconstruction: Reshapes breasts to create good breast shape after lumpectomy or radiation. This may be done with a breast lift or reduction during or after breast cancer treatment.
  • Breast lift or reduction for symmetry after treatment.
  • Reconstruction with flap: Uses tissue from other areas of the body to replace breast tissue lost during breast cancer treatment or mastectomy.

Prosthetic (Implant)

With prosthetic, or implant-based, reconstruction, we replace your breast tissue with an implant filled with saline or silicone gel. You may need future implant surgeries to replace the implant.

Types of implant-based reconstruction include:

  • Staged expander: This involves two surgeries. During the first surgery, your breast surgeon will put a tissue expander into your breast to make room for an implant. During the second surgery, your surgeon will insert the implant.
  • Direct-to-implant (DTI): The implant is placed during mastectomy.

Breast Neurotization Surgery

This reconnects tiny nerves in the breast to improve sensory recovery in natural breast reconstruction.

Surgical Treatment of Post-Mastectomy Pain Syndrome

It is common for reconstructed breasts to hurt. If your breasts hurt after reconstruction, we offer outpatient surgical treatment to help with your pain. It can help you manage the pain and reduce how much pain medication you may need.

Surgical treatment for breast reconstruction pain may include:

  • Fat transfer
  • Neuroma (pinched nerve) removal or repair
  • Targeted motor reinnervation (TMR)

3D Nipple Areola Tattooing

华体会 uses local trusted tattoo artists for nipple tattooing after surgery. This can help your breasts look how they did before surgery.

Lymphedema Prevention and Treatment

Some people have swelling where their lymph nodes were removed after mastectomy. This swelling is called lymphedema.

At 华体会, we offer several surgical and non-surgical ways to prevent and treat lymphedema.

Surgical:

  • Lymphatic venous bypass
  • Lymph node transfer
  • Reducing the number of lymph nodes removed in surgery

Non-surgical:

  • Lymphatic drainage massage and compression
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physical therapy

Lymph Node Biopsy

Breast cancer is staged from 0 to IV (least to most severe). The stage of your cancer is based on:

  • The size and location of the primary tumor
  • Whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of your body
  • The tumor grade
  • Whether certain biomarkers (measurable indicators) are present.

We may use a sentinel lymph node biopsy to see if cancer cells have spread to your lymph nodes. This surgical procedure will help us stage your breast cancer. It can be done during a lumpectomy or mastectomy.

华体会 provides surgical care for breast cancer across the Chicago area. You will have access to excellent surgical specialists near you.