The surgical removal of the breast is Mastectomy. The exact procedure of mastectomy that is to be done is to be determined after careful evaluation and assessment between you and your doctor.
What are the kinds of radical mastectomy surgeries ?
The two types of Radical Mastectomy are as follows.
- Radical mastectomy used to be done in earlier days. This is basically the complete removal of the breast and the nipple. The surgeon also surgically removes the skin, the chest muscles (pectoralis muscles) beneath the breast, and the underarm (axillary) lymph nodes. As radical mastectomy is not more effective than other less extreme forms of mastectomy, it is not usually performed these days. It is only recommended if and only if the cancer has spread to the chest muscle or chest wall.
- Modified radical mastectomy (MRM) : This is a far less traumatic and more widely used procedure. This entails entire breast removal including all of the lymph nodes in the underarm or axillary region. However, chest muscles or the pectoralis muscles are left intact. The skin covering overlying chest wall may or may not be spared. The removal of axillary nodes (lymph nodes) ensures that your doctor obtains important information on if the nodes have cancer cells or not. This will determine the appropriate treatment for you after your surgery.
What is modified radical mastectomy and when is it indicated ?
The standard surgical treatment for breast cancer for the past 30 years has been a type of modified radical mastectomy (MRM). This involves the complete removal of the breast, along with only the thin outer cover of the chest or pectoralis muscles, and most of the lymph nodes located underneath the arm (axillary lymph nodes).
What is the procedure for modified radical mastectomy surgery ?
After hospital admission and surgery preparation by the nursing staff, you will be taken to the Operating Room. The most commonly used anesthesia for mastectomy is general anesthesia (the kind that puts you to sleep). You will be put on an intravenous line for fluids and medication. The duration of surgery is around one hour, in which the surgeon will incise the skin and breast tissue and remove it as well.
The incision placed will be around 15- 20 cm (or 6-9 inches) and is made in a side-to-side, transverse or horizontal fashion. The chest wall muscles are not to be removed and are left intact as they are. The nipple and areola will be removed but most of the overlying skin is also left intact.
The area is then sutured up, with the placement of drainage tubes, to aid in pus and fluid drainage.
What can you expect after modified radical mastectomy surgery ?
You will have to rest in the recovery room for 1-2 hours while you recover from the general anesthesia. You will then be taken to your hospital room or to the Day Surgery.
You will experience pain and for that, your doctor will prescribe pain medication either by injections or tablets. It is to be expected that you have discomfort/pain after your surgery. However, it can be kept under control by medication. You may also experience some numbness and tingling sensation in your upper arm. This will slowly decrease in time.
What are the side effects of a modified radical mastectomy surgery ?
If a modified radical mastectomy is performed, complications can occur due to the removal of the lymph nodes. The chief complications of an axillary lymph node dissection (or removal of the underarm lymph nodes) include a swelling of the arm known as lymphedema.
Some of the other complications associated with this type of lymph node removal during a modified radical mastectomy include:
- Temporary or permanent limitations in arm and shoulder movement after surgery
- Numbness of the upper inner arm skin
- Infection of the surgical area
- Accumulation of blood in the surgical area (hematoma)
- Accumulation of clear fluid in the surgical area (seroma)
- A rare complication occurring when the skin flaps do not heal properly (called flap necrosis). Smoking increases your risk of flap necrosis.
How do you gear yourself up to deal with mastectomy surgery ?
After you have had a mastectomy, you may be emotionally overwhelmed. You may think about the fact that you have been treated for a serious disease. You have had an operation that has changed your appearance, perhaps your self-image. You might wonder how the mastectomy will affect your lifestyle and personal relationships. You may be unsure how to act towards family and friends.
Feelings of sadness, depression, anxiety and fear of looking at the incision area will affect you. A Mastectomy drastically changes your body image. You will feel the loss of a breast. This may also affect sexual intimacy. It would definitely help to discuss possible sexual problems either with one’s partner, or with a counselor or a with specific breast cancer support groups.
Each woman’s reaction to a mastectomy is different. You can take steps to ease your emotional adjustment. Express all your feelings to your doctor and people who are close to you. This will aid your doctor to understand what you need to fully recover and this will help your family and friends to share your difficulties and in turn help you get over them. Your family and friends can definitely be your strongest supporters.
If you have a mastectomy, can you have plastic surgery for breast reconstruction ?
Yes, breast reconstruction can either be done immediately after mastectomy or in a delayed manner after all necessary chemotherapy or radiation therapy (only if required) is given to you.
How to find breast cancer surgeons for radical mastectomy surgery ?
Now you can find breast cancer surgeons for radical mastectomy surgery from different hospitals and destinations on a single platform, Hinfoways. You can avail opinions from multiple breast cancer surgeons, get approximate cost for radical mastectomy surgery from various hospitals, compare things and then choose a breast cancer surgeon for radical mastectomy surgery.
Find and choose a breast cancer surgeon for radical mastectomy surgery on Hinfoways. Make an informed choice.
Disclaimer: The content provided here is meant for general informational purposes only and hence SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, care or evaluation by a qualified doctor/physician or other relevantly qualified healthcare provider.
