Breast Cancer Surgery
Breast cancer treatments are improving all the time.
There are essential five ways to treat breast cancer in the modern age.
Two treatments target the breast itself and the lymph nodes in the arm pit.
1) Surgery
2) Radiotherapy
Three treatments can target the whole body :-
1) Hormonal Treatments (tablets)
2) Immunotherapies (that boost the immune system)
3) Chemotherapy (which targets and kills cancerous cells)
BREAST CANCER SURGERY
Breast cancer surgery, generally speaking means either a mastectomy (to remove the whole breast) or a lumpectomy (to remove the breast cancer lump but to leave behind some of the breast). There are a great variety of different refinements of these two broad categories. The evolution of techniques aims to remove only what is necessary and to leave behind health breast tissue when possible.
How long will the operation take?
This will vary from about 1-2 hour to up to 4 -5 hours depending on the techniques required.
Will I need a general anaesthetic?
Yes, you will need to be asleep for the surgery.
How many nights will I have to be in hospital?
Usually you can go home the same day, although some patients may need to stay for several nights.
How long will I need to take off work?
Generally, patients need about 1-2 weeks off work for the scars to heal but often the other cancer treatments will necessitate a longer period off from work and often this amounts to about a year or more of time required to complete all the necessary treatments.
What should I avoid after the operation?
Patients should generally avoid heavy lifting and high impact exercise for about 4-6 weeks.
What are the risks of the operation? All operations carry some risks. Bruising, swelling and a tight sensation around the chest are quite common after this type of surgery. Infection, bad scarring, asymmetry, bleeding and permanent numbness of the skin or nipple can occur too. There is often some degree of residual lumpiness and the result is invariably not perfect. There is always a risk that the cancer may return although this is minimised as much as is possible by the various treatments available. During your consultation, all the risks of surgery will be explained to you in much more detail.
When will I need appointments after the operation?
You will normally be seen for an appointment at 1-2 weeks and at about 3 months after surgery to ensure that you are recovering well. The scars continue to settle and improve over time and typically fade to the normal skin colour after about 1-2 years.
