Mastectomy Surgery

     Mastectomy is another major surgery done for women with breast cancer. It removes partially, completely, one or both breast, including the nipple. There are five different types of mastectomy: Simple Mastectomy, Modified Radical Mastectomy, Subcutaneous Mastectomy, Skin-sparing Mastectomy and Radical Mastectomy.

    Mastectomy is used to treat women with: two or more areas of cancer that are in the same breast but far from each other, women with a tumor larger than 5 centimeter and as not shrunk by using chemotherapy, women with a cancer bigger than her breast, women that have been treated with radiation therapy and hasn't removed all cancerous cells and pregnant women.

    The procedure for a Mastectomy surgery usually involves a surgeon that will separate the breast tissue from the above skin and from the chest muscle from underneath. All of the breast tissue is removed including everything that lies between the ribs and collarbone and from the side of the body to the breastbone. Then the surgeon will insert drains and closes the wound by using stitches.

    Mastectomy usually takes approximately 2 hours in the operation room and an average stay in the hospital to recover is about 2 to 3 days unless you are having breast reconstruction surgery it will take longer, about 3 to 4 weeks.