Mastectomy

A mastectomy is the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women and some men considered to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation to prevent cancer rather than treat it.

Types of mastectomies include:

• Simple mastectomy or total mastectomy—the entire breast tissue is removed, but the axillary (armpit) contents are undisturbed.
• Modified radical mastectomy—the entire breast tissue is removed along with the axillary contents (fatty tissue and lymph nodes). In contrast to a radical mastectomy, the pectoral muscles are spared.
• Radical mastectomy involves removing the entire breast, the axillary lymph nodes, and the pectorals major and minor muscles behind the breast.
• Skin-sparing mastectomy—the breast tissue is removed through a conservative incision made around the areola (the dark part surrounding the nipple). The increased amount of skin preserved as compared to traditional mastectomy resections serves to facilitate breast reconstruction procedures.
• Lumpectomy is a surgical procedure designed to remove a discrete lump, usually a benign tumor or breast cancer, from an affected woman’s or man’s breast. A lumpectomy is considered a viable means of “breast preservation” surgery with all the attendant physical and emotional advantages of such an approach.

Source: www.webmd.com