Lumpectomy is the removal of part of the breast.
Lumpectomy may be combined with a procedure to sample lymph nodes in the area (axillary dissection or sentinel node biopsy ).
Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a lumpectomy, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:
Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:
Your doctor will likely do the following:
Talk to your doctor about your medicines. You may be asked to stop taking some medicines up to one week before the procedure, like:
Do not eat or drink anything for 8-12 hours before surgery, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
General anesthesia is most often used. You will be asleep.
A small cut will be made in the breast. The tumor will be cut out, along with some of the surrounding tissue. Another incision near the armpit may be made so that lymph nodes can be removed. The nipple and areola will not be removed. Plastic tubes for drainage may be inserted. The incisions will be closed with stitches.
Removed tissue will be examined. The findings may determine if any further surgery is needed.
About 1-3 hours
Anesthesia prevents pain during the procedure. There is usually relatively little pain after a lumpectomy. There may be temporary unpleasant sensations, including numbness and a pinching or pulling feeling in the underarm area. Patients who have lymph node biopsies generally have more discomfort. If needed, you may be prescribed pain medicine.
If you do develop complications from lymph node surgery, you will need to take some special precautions:
The breast may change in size or shape after lumpectomy. There may be local skin discoloration from dye used to localize lymph nodes for biopsy. The dye may also discolor your urine for a short time after surgery. You will be asked to see your doctor for a follow-up appointment within 7-14 days after the surgery.
The surgery is usually followed by an appropriate course of radiation therapy and, in some cases, chemotherapy .
After arriving home, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:
If you think you have an emergency, CALL 911 .
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
http://www.cbcf.org/
Women's Web
http://www.womensweb.ca/
References:
American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org .
1/22/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance : Torres Lacomba M, Yuste Sánchez MJ, Zapico Goñi A, et al. Effectiveness of early physiotherapy to prevent lymphoedema after surgery for breast cancer: randomised, single blinded, clinical trial. BMJ. 2010;340:b5396.
Last reviewed October 2009 by Igor Puzanov, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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