Breast Surgery: Options

What are breast surgeries?

Breast surgeries treat tumors in your breasts or change your breasts’ appearance. You may have breast surgery if you have:

• Breast cancer
• A noncancerous lump in your breast
• A high risk of breast cancer because you have a family history of the condition or carry variations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene
• Back, neck or shoulder pain that a breast reduction procedure can ease
• A personal desire to change what your breasts look like

Breast cancer surgeries

Surgery is a common procedure to diagnose and treat cancerous tumors in your breasts. Breast cancer surgeries include:

• Axillary lymph node dissection
• Breast biopsy
• Lumpectomy
• Mastectomy
• Prophylactic (preventive) mastectomy

Cosmetic breast surgeries

Cosmetic breast surgeries change your breasts’ size and shape. Surgeries include:

• Breast augmentation
• Breast reconstruction
• Breast reduction

What happens before breast surgery?

You’ll meet with your surgeon before your surgery. That includes breast surgeries for medical issues or cosmetic breast surgery.

If you’re having breast cancer surgery, your surgeon will:

• Review your medical history to confirm the tumor’s size and location
• Discuss your treatment options, including recovery time
• Explain potential side effects and complications that the specific surgery may cause
• If needed, discuss breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery
• Measure your breasts
• Take pictures of your breasts

Surgeons and other care providers will refer to the photographs to check your breasts as they heal after surgery. Your care team are the only people who’ll have access to the photographs.

If you’re having cosmetic breast surgery, your surgeon will:

• Review your medical history to confirm you’re physically able to have cosmetic surgery
• Discuss why you’re considering cosmetic breast surgery
• Explain potential outcomes
• Discuss the potential side effects and complications that the specific surgery may cause
• Measure and photograph your breasts

This is a good time to ask questions about the procedure. For example, you may want to ask:

• What will my breasts look like right after surgery? What about over time?
• What will my breasts feel like?
• Will I be able to breastfeed?

What happens during breast surgery?

There are different specific steps for each type of breast surgery. But all breast surgeries involve:

Anesthesia

You’ll receive general anesthesia or local anesthesia. You’ll receive general anesthesia for certain types of breast biopsies, breast cancer surgery or cosmetic surgery. General anesthesia means you’re asleep during surgery.

You’ll receive local anesthesia if you’re having a core needle or fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Local anesthesia numbs a small area of your breast.

Incisions

Breast surgeries involve incisions (cuts) in your skin. Surgeons make cuts to get to your breast tissue so they can:

• Obtain a tissue sample
• Remove a cancerous tumor
• Remove breast tissue
• Place a breast implant

A medical pathologist will examine the tissue sample under a microscope and look for signs of cancer.

Your surgeon will close the incision with sutures. They may place gauze over the incision site or take other steps to protect it.

Surgical drains

Breast surgery can cause blood and other fluids to build up under your skin. Fluid buildup can lead to a surgical wound infection. Your surgeon may place a surgical drain in certain incisions (cuts) in your breast. Surgeons typically place surgical drains if you have a:

• Mastectomy
• Breast reconstruction
• Breast reduction

What are the potential risks of breast surgery?

All major surgeries have risks. Breast surgery risks vary depend on the surgery type. Your surgeon will explain the potential issues that you may experience. Common potential risks include:

• Anesthesia complications
• Excessive bleeding
• Experiencing more pain than you expect
• Surgical scars
• Surgical wound infection

What should I expect after breast surgery?

Your healthcare team will explain the specific things you’ll need to do to support your recovery. For example, they’ll:

• Explain what kind of bra or elastic bandage you’ll wear after surgery
• Show you how to care for your incision after you go home
• Demonstrate how to empty a surgical drain

Your team will understand that this is a lot of information to process. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about the processes.

You’ll need to take it easy during the early part of your recovery. Your team will discuss any activities you should avoid. For example, they may tell you to arrange for transportation for a few weeks after surgery.

It takes time for your body to recover from breast surgery. How much time depends on the type of surgery that you have. For example, it can take a month to fully recover from breast reconstruction surgery. It will take more time — often, several months — to fully recover from a mastectomy.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Contact your surgeon if you experience:

• Bleeding from the surgical wound that’s more than you expect
• Broken sutures that cause your incision to open (wound dehiscence)
• Fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.33 degrees Celsius) or higher
• Pain that persists even after you take pain medication
• Redness at the incision site
• Swelling in your arm or hand, under your arm or near the incision
• Tenderness at the incision site

What is the most common type of breast surgery?

Breast augmentation is the most common type of cosmetic surgery. Lumpectomy and mastectomy are common surgeries to treat breast cancer.

Do men have breast surgery?

Yes. Men may need breast surgery if they have breast cancer. And they may have breast surgery to treat gynecomastia.