Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
The breast area will fully heal in three to four weeks. If the patient had breast reconstruction, it may take up to six weeks to recover fully. The patient should be able to participate in all of the activities she has engaged in before surgery. If...
breast reconstruction is done, the patient should realize that the new breast will not have the sensitivity of a normal breast. In addition, dealing with cancer emotionally may take time, especially if additional treatment is necessary.
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A modified radical mastectomy is a major surgery used to treat breast cancer. This animation shows which anatomical structures are removed during a modified radical mastectomy and how the procedure is different from other forms of mastectomy (breast removal surgery).
In a simple mastectomy, the skin over the tumor is cut open (A). The tumor and tissue surrounding it are removed (B), and the wound is closed (C). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Simple mastectomy (or "total mastectomy"): In this procedure, the entire breast tissue is removed, but axillary contents are undisturbed. Sometimes the "sentinel lymph node"--that is, the first axillary lymph node that the would be expected to drain into--is removed. This surgery is sometimes done bilaterally (on both breasts) on patients who wish to undergo mastectomy as a cancer-preventative measure. Patients who undergo simple mastectomy can usually leave the hospital after a brief stay. Frequently, a drainage tube is inserted during surgery in their chest and attached to a small suction device to remove subcutaneous fluid. These are usually removed several days after surgery as drainage decrease to less than 20-30 ml per day.
From yhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastectomy#Types_of_mastectomy
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