mastectomy…

Medical experts recommend this detailed explanation.

[ Find Organization | Index Page ]

female breast, mastectomy, breast removal surgery, a mastectomy, surgical removal, the entire breast, to treat serious breast disease, breast cancer, four general types of mastectomy, a subcutaneous mastectomy removes the entire breast, leaves the nipple, areola, pigmented circle around the nipple, in place, total, simple, mastectomy, removal, the whole breast, not the lymph nodes under the arm, axillary nodes, modified radical mastectomy, whole breast, the lymph nodes under the arm, axillary nodes, removed, removal of these lymph nodes, an axillary dissection, radical mastectomy involves removal, the chest wall muscles, pectorals, breast, axillary lymph nodes, many years, operation was considered the standard, women, breast cancer, rarely used today, mostly of historical interest, the patient is anesthetized, unconscious, pain-free, an incision is made, breast, breast tissue is removed, overlying skin, underlying muscle, an axillary dissection, via the same incision, two small plastic drains, left in place, prevent fluid from collecting, in the space, breast tissue, surgeon, decide, drains, removed, fluid draining decreases to an acceptable volume, ranges anywhere, a few days to a week, many women go home, drains, have them removed, an office visit, to reconstruct the breast, artificial implants, native tissue, same operation, immediate reconstruction, at a later date, after other necessary treatments, delayed reconstruction, reconstruction adds, complexity, the surgery, decisions, undergo breast reconstruction, best timing, joint decisions between women, involves, consideration of many different individual factors, most common reason, performing a mastectomy is breast cancer, breast cancer, discovered, a lump, a change, in the appearance, the breast, dimpling, puckering, a suspicious mammogram is investigated, two main types of breast cancer surgery, first is breast conservation, where only the tumor, a rim of surrounding tissue is removed, breast conservation surgery, lumpectomy, partial mastectomy, followed by radiation therapy, breast, alternative to breast conservation surgery is removal, the entire breast, mastectomy, topic of this article, type of surgery is best, which patients, complex decision, taking many factors into account, diagnosed, breast cancer, discuss, doctor the relevant issues, circumstances thoroughly, detail, important issues include the size, the tumor in relation, size of breast, whether there is more than one tumor in breast, side effects of radiation therapy, personal preferences, another reason, performing a mastectomy, a breast contains widespread dcis, ductal carcinoma in situ, dcis, pre-cancerous condition, has the potential to, become invasive cancer, left in place, discovered, a suspicious mammogram alerts doctor to perform a biopsy, dcis present, small area, removed, a lumpectomy, spread throughout the entire breast, might, require a mastectomy, mastectomy, dcis, does not, require removal, the lymph nodes under the arm, preventive, prophylactic mastectomy, surgical removal of one, breasts that, not contain cancer, dcis, in an effort, prevent, reduce the risk of breast cancer, a subcutaneous, a total mastectomy, surgery, option to reduce the risk of breast cancer, women at extremely high risk of developing breast cancer, prophylactic, preventative, mastectomy, alternative to intensive screening, undertaken only after very careful consideration, genetic testing, a psychiatric evaluation, women who might consider propylactic mastectomy include those, a strong family history of breast cancer, relatives, diagnosed at a very early age, families have a known genetic mutation that predisposes to breast cancer, brca1, brca2, individuals, genes, inherited mutations in these genes increase the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, important to note that prophylactic mastectomy greatly reduces, does not eliminate the risk of breast cancer, mastectomy is very safe surgery, most patients recover well, no complications, surgery, complications, listed here, keep in mind, stated otherwise, not happen, risks of any surgery, bleeding, infection, injury to nearby tissues, post-operative pain, soreness is expected, effectively treated, pain medication, a scar on the chest wall, scarring occurs, all surgery, unavoidable, general anesthesia risks include potential breathing, heart problems, well possible reactions to medications, woman who is otherwise in good health, risk of a serious complication, due to general anesthesia is less than 1%, risks related specifically, removal, the breast, compromised blood supply, skin, the chest wall, loss of some skin, in extreme circumstances, complication, require a skin graft, a risk of bleeding, space, breast, a second operation is required to control bleeding, uncommon, risks specifically related to removing the nearby lymph nodes, axillary dissection, experience shoulder stiffness after removal, the lymph nodes, in the armpit, stiffness improves over time, exercise, physical therapy, a fluid collection, a seroma, collect, in the armpit, relatively common, resolves on its own, require needle drainage, the axillary, armpit, lymph nodes, drain excess fluid, arm, removal of these, result in postoperative swelling, the arm on the same side, the breast which is removed, swelling, lymphedema, uncommon, it occurs, a persistent problem, carries an increased risk of infection, important nerves, in the area, the axillary lymph nodes, at risk, surgery, numb patch on the inside, the arm after surgery, nerves to muscles, the back, chest wall, at risk, surgeon, make every effort to protect these nerves, surgery, risks related to reconstructive surgery, reconstructive surgery was done using an implant, an increased risk of infection, a risk that the scar around the implant, contract, make the breast feel hard, treated by removing the scar tissue, removing /replacing the implant, each of these involves another surgery, surgical scars, fade, never disappear entirely, reconstruction using native tissue, abdomen, buttocks carries a higher risk of bleeding, a small chance that the transferred tissue, lose its blood supply, have to be removed, successful treatment of breast cancer, likelihood of long-term survival, women, breast cancer depends critically on the stage, the disease, diagnosed, self-breast examination, regular clinical breast examinations by medical professionals, annual screening, x-ray mammography, the main tools of early detection of breast cancer, three, screening mammography combined, clinical breast examination, most effective detection method, united states, yearly screening mammography, women over the age of 40, detected in its earliest stages, appropriate treatment results, ten-year survival rate of over 90%, new cases of breast cancer have been gradually increasing in recent years, likely continue to, the population ages, chance of dying from breast cancer has been steadily falling, 1-2% a year, improvement, due to early detection, newer treatments, hormonal therapy, better chemotherapy, breast reconstruction, time of mastectomy, at a later date, restore a normal appearance, techniques, achieving this have advanced greatly, goal of reconstruction, restore symmetry, the breasts, a woman is dressed, difference, the reconstructed breast, unaffected breast, the woman is nude, reconstruction, not restore normal sensation, breast reconstruction, the mastectomy, woman chooses it, medical oncologist, surgeon agree, various techniques, reconstructing the breast, most patients, reconstruction, require two to three surgical procedures, first surgery, reconstruction, the shape, the breast, additional surgery is necessary to, the shape, placement of an implant, to modify the opposite breast, better symmetry, an additional minor procedure involves reconstruction, the nipple/areolar area, many women choose not, undergo breast reconstruction, women, a variety of prostheses, worn, in the bra, to give a natural contour, symmetry, surgery, treatments, hormonal therapy, radiation, chemotherapy included to reduce the risk of recurrence, improve the chances of long-term survival, treatments have own side effects, discuss, hospital stay, from 1 to 3 days, depending on the type of surgery, longer stays, common, breast reconstruction is included, discussed earlier, surgical drains, commonly placed to remove any fluid that might collect, drains left in, time of discharge, hospital, instructed to measure the fluid that drains from them, stitches, placed under the skin, dissolve on own, non-dissolving stitches, clips, removed 7 to 10 days after surgery, full recovery, take, 3-6 weeks, takes time, woman to adjust, loss of a breast, talking to other women, had mastectomies, to partners, family, deal, feelings, a health care provider, locate support groups, the woman, family, a mental health professional, a woman, family adjust.