Breast Surgery

Breast surgery is sometimes necessary to remove a benign mass or growth from the breast or to remove cancerous tissue. There are many different issues associated with breast surgery, and Dr. Bagnato is sensitive to the physical and mental needs of each patient.

The type of surgery that Dr. Bagnato will recommend is based on the type of mass that you have and, in the case of cancer, whether or not it has spread to other areas. Dr. Bagnato will use an approach that conserves the breast whenever possible. 

Breast Conserving Surgery

Any procedure that removes less than the entire breast is called a breast conserving or breast sparing surgery. There are many names for this kind of surgery, but the two most common terms are lumpectomy or partial mastectomy.

During a lumpectomy, Dr. Bagnato removes only the tumor (the "lump") and, to be sure all the cancer is gone, some of the normal tissue that surrounds it. This normal tissue is referred to as the "margins."

All of the tissue removed from the breast is carefully examined for cancer. The goal is to find "clean margins." In other words, the tissue surrounding the edges of the lump should be cancer free. If cancer is found in the margins, additional surgery will be required.

A lumpectomy is typically followed by radiation therapy to make sure all of the cancerous cells have been destroyed.

Mastectomy

A mastectomy is the surgical removal of the breast. It is used to treat more advanced cancer than breast-sparing surgeries can address.

There are two main types of mastectomy performed today. A simple mastectomy is the complete removal of the breast with no removal of the underlying muscle. Lymph nodes that are in the affected breast will be removed but none of the lymph nodes in the axilla (underarm area) will be removed. A simple mastectomy is commonly referred to as a total mastectomy.

A modified radical mastectomy involves removal of the breast and the lymph nodes under the arm. The chest muscles under the breast are not removed.