Lumpectomy and radiation are a reasonable method to treat many breast cancers. The goals after lumpectomy are to get all of the wounds healed by six weeks so that the patient can proceed to radiation in a timely manner. The skin often tolerates radiation well after lumpectomy. The more intact and heartier the blood supply to the skin, the better…
Breast cancer can be treated with lumpectomy or mastectomy. Lumpectomy can treat breast cancer depending upon the size of the tumor relative to the size of the breast. The photo demonstrates right breast lumpectomy with oncoplastic reconstruction and left breast mastopexy-reduction for symmetry.
Breast cancer is a common cancer among women. There are two different surgical ways to treat breast cancer. One way is to perform a mastectomy and the other way is to perform a lumpectomy. One simple but consistent way to approach the question to have either a lumpectomy or mastectomy is the size of the tumor relative to the size…
Many breast cancer patients have been treated with lumpectomy and radiation therapy. In some patients, the lumpectomy defect and the whole breast radiation can cause significant changes or deformities to the breast. In the before and after photograph shown, the patient had previous right breast cancer treated with lumpectomy and radiation. The lumpectomy defect as well as the whole breast…
Breast cancer reconstruction is an area of my practice which is rewarding as we are often able to successfully treat a patient’s breast cancer effectively, yet at the same time prevent a deformity of the breast or in some cases enhance the appearance of the breast. Elite athletes who have successfully completed IronMan/IronWoman triathlons are patients who are dear to…
The latissimus dorsi flap is an important and very versatile flap for breast reconstruction. The latissimus flap almost always requires a breast implant to add volume to the breast reconstruction in order to match the contralateral breast. The latissimus dorsi flap can be harvested and transferred with a skin paddle to replace a missing nipple areola complex or it can…
In certain patients with breast cancer, they may be a candidate for a lumpectomy with oncoplastic reconstruction and intra-operative radiation therapy. In patients with smaller tumors and certain biologic characteristics radiation can be undertaken at the time of lumpectomy during the operation. This can have fewer deleterious effects on the breast tissue, skin, and the overall aesthetic result. Oncoplastic reconstruction…
There are many different ways to reconstruct the breast following lumpectomy. Oncoplastic reconstruction of lumpectomy defects can provide excellent exposure for the oncologic breast surgeon to perform a lumpectomy and it can also allow the breast to be reconstructed in an aesthetic fashion. The mastopexy or breast lift component of the reconstruction can make a more compact target for radiation…
Tumors of the upper outer quadrant of the breast and with certain characteristics can be excised with lumpectomy, intra-operative radiation therapy, and oncoplastic reconstruction of the lumpectomy defect. In general, tumors that are amenable to lumpectomy and IORT tend to be less than 3 cm, estrogen receptor positive, unifocal, and have negative lymph node status. When a breast undergoes a…
When patients choose to undergo lumpectomy and when the cancer resides outside of the standard Wise mastopexy pattern, the pattern is sometimes adjusted to remove the skin above the tumor. This will help the oncologic surgeon remove the skin above the tumor and help to clear the anterior margin. When the incisions are sutured closed the final suture placed is…
