A mastectomy is a surgical operation that involves partial or total ablation of a breast. Also called a mastectomy, it is performed with the aim of completely removing a cancerous tumor in the breast.

When breast cancer is detected, several treatment options can be considered.

Total or partial mastectomy is the most recommended technique for removing the tumor, since it removes all the affected tissue and limits recurrence.

Two types of interventions can be offered:

• la partial mastectomy, also called lumpectomy or breast-conserving surgery, which consists of removing only the tumor and leaving as many breasts as possible intact. During this procedure, the surgeon still removes a “margin” of healthy tissue around the tumor to be sure not to leave cancer cells.
• La total mastectomy, which is the complete removal of the diseased breast. It is needed in about a third of breast cancers.

During the procedure, the lymph nodes in the armpit (axillary region) are removed and analyzed to see if the cancer has remained localized or if it has spread. Depending on the case, the mastectomy should be followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy (especially if it is partial).

Mastectomy is performed under general anesthesia by a surgeon-oncologist. It requires a few days of hospitalization.

Usually admission to hospital is done the day before the operation. As with any intervention, it is necessary to be on an empty stomach. The same day, you have to take a shower with an antiseptic product and the armpit is shaved before entering the operating room.

The surgeon removes all or part of the mammary gland, as well as the nipple and areola (in the case of total ablation). The scar is oblique or horizontal, as low as possible, and extends towards the armpit.

In some cases, a reconstruction operation breast implant surgery is performed just after removal (reconstruction straight away), in order to avoid multiple interventions, but this practice is still quite rare.

Depending on the case, hospitalization lasts from 2 to 7 days after the operation, in order to check the proper progress of healing (drains, called Redon drains, are put in place after the operation to prevent the accumulation of fluid in the wound).

Painkillers and anticoagulants are prescribed. The wound takes a long time to heal (several weeks), and the medical staff will teach you how to take care of the scar after the absorbable sutures are gone.

With a partial mastectomy, removing the tumor can change the shape of the breast. Depending on the situation, radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatments may be implemented after the mastectomy. In all cases, regular medical follow-up will ensure that there is no recurrence and that the cancer has not metastasized.