Mastectomy is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of the breast. Earlier, the whole breast was required to be removed in case of breast cancer, but now with surgical breakthroughs it is possible to conserve parts of the breast, while removing only the diseased tissues. There are different types of Masctectomy procedures that include totalpreventive, partial and radical mastectomy.
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Mastectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the entire breast containing cancer. The objective of the medical procedure is to remove cancerous tissues from the breast area. Alternately, some people prefer having a lumpectomy, a procedure used for removing only the cancerous cells by conserving a major portion of the breast.
Many women choose Mastectomy over Lupectomy for personal reasons. However, the possibility of a second attack of cancer is treated with a double mastectomy, in which both the breasts are removed.
There are several types of Masctemtomy, but the right option for you depends upon several factors like your general health, age, the tumour size, your menopause status, the tumour’s hormone receptor status, the stage of tumour (if it has spread), grade of the tumour and whether lymph nodes are involved.
The suitable candidates for Mastectomy are women who have cancer in their breasts and want to remove all diseases tissues and lymph nodes to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body. Nonetheless, most women prefer breast-conserving surgeries over a Masctectomy if it’s a reasonable option. If the doctor still feels that a Mastectomy is the best choice, he goes for it. For instance, Mastectomy is highly recommended for women who are:
The five different types of Mastectomy are discussed below:
Many women want to have a breast re-construction procedure after a mastectomy. Although, it is feasible for doctors to perform breast re-construction to restore the breast’s appearance, the possibilities vary from patient to patient. Sometimes, a reconstruction procedure is done immediately after a mastectomy, while in some cases it is performed later.
Before Mastectomy surgery, you need to undergo a few preparations as advised by your doctor.
This is how a mastectomy is performed:
The hospital recovery time of mastectomy is 1-2 nights after which the woman is discharged. In some cases, some women are kept under observation in a 23-hour unit after which she is allowed to go home. The overall recovery of mastectomy depends upon the type of surgery performed. Usually, mastectomy patients can return to work after 4 weeks of the surgery.
While at home, you should know how to take care of the surgery site. Know about how to detect any infections at the incision site, how to shower and bath, how to do arm exercises to prevent stiffness, when to start wearing a bra, what to eat and what not to, what to expect regarding the numbness and sensations in the arm and breast, when to have a follow-up appointment with the doctor.