What you need to know about Breast Lumpectomy Procedure
Contents
- 1 What you need to know about Breast Lumpectomy Procedure
- 2 What does the Procedure Involve?
- 3 How Long Should You Stay in the Local Area?
- 4 What’s the Recovery Time Like?
- 5 What Aftercare Should You Consider?
- 6 What is the Success Rate for Breast Lumpectomy?
- 7 Are there Alternatives to Breast Lumpectomy?
- 8 What Should You Expect Before and After the Procedure?
Breast lumpectomy, also known as partial mastectomy or excisional biopsy, is a surgical procedure to remove cancer or other abnormal tissue from the breast while maintaining the shape of your breast. With this procedure, only the tumor and some affected breast tissue are removed, not the entire breast that is done with a traditional mastectomy.
What does the Procedure Involve?
A breast lumpectomy is normally performed under general anesthetic, but it can also be done under local anesthetic. The surgery begins with making an incision over the tumor, then the tumor, as well as some surrounding tissues, are removed and sent to the lab for analysis. Your surgeon will then close the incisions using stitches and they will try to preserve the appearance of your breasts.
How Long Should You Stay in the Local Area?
Some people can leave the hospital on the same day, others need to stay in the hospital for a day or two. Plan to stay in the local area for at least a week or two because you will need to attend follow up check-ups and for the stitches to be removed.
What’s the Recovery Time Like?
If your breast lumpectomy did not involve having a lymph node biopsy, you may be able to return to work after three days, but you will need to wait for at least a week to resume your normal activities and exercise. If your breast lumpectomy involved a lymph node biopsy, you may need to take a week off from work and it will be 10 to 14 days until you can get back to your full routine.
What Aftercare Should You Consider?
After a breast lumpectomy, you will be wearing a dressing over the surgery site and taking prescribed pain medication. Your surgeon will give you detailed post-operative instruction, including your diet and exercise and ensure you strictly follow the instructions. You will also need to start exercising your arm after surgery to prevent shoulder and arm stiffness.
What is the Success Rate for Breast Lumpectomy?
Around 97% of women who underwent lumpectomy along with radiation have successfully survived their disease. Although the success rate is high, you will need to be aware of some side effects and risks that come with a breast lumpectomy, including infection, bleeding, pain, tenderness, temporary swelling, and change to the shape of the breast.
Are there Alternatives to Breast Lumpectomy?
If you do not want to undergo a breast lumpectomy, there are some treatment alternatives you can choose. These alternatives include partial breast radiation and hypofractionation.
What Should You Expect Before and After the Procedure?
Before having a Breast lumpectomy, you may have cancer or abnormal tissue in your breast. After the surgery, these abnormalities are removed, so the risk of your cancer developing or spreading to other parts of your body is reduced.
For an in-depth analysis of a Breast Lumpectomy procedure, watch this short video.
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