Breast Surgical Services

An excisional breast biopsy is a surgery that removes a small area of breast tissue to determine if a lump or other abnormality is cancer. An excisional breast biopsy can also be used to remove noncancerous tumors such as fibroadenomas. This is done as an outpatient surgery and you are given anesthesia.

Lumpectomy is a surgery to remove cancer or other abnormal tissue from the breast. Also called breast-conserving therapy, it only removes the cancer with a thin rim of surrounding normal breast tissue. This is often performed as an outpatient and you are given anesthesia to ensure all cancer is removed. Women who have a lumpectomy are usually recommended to have radiation treatment to reduce the chance of the cancer returning.

A mastectomy removes all of the breast tissue to treat breast cancer. Women who undergo mastectomy for breast cancer treatment may not require radiation therapy. There are options to reconstruct the breast at the same time as the mastectomy after all cancer treatment is finished or with a custom made prosthesis. Our breast cancer team will help to coordinate care with plastic and reconstructive surgeons.

Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy refers to removal of the healthy breast in someone who currently has or has had breast cancer in the other breast. It may be recommended by breast surgeons if you have any of the following:

• A genetic defect that predisposes you to breast cancer
• A high risk for developing breast cancer
• A desire for symmetry and reconstruction of both breasts using the same method

Learn about the wide range of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Procedures available at Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic.