Lumpectomy
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Carolina Breast Care Specialists, PA
Sean T. Canale, MD, FACS
Oncoplastic Breast Surgery located in Raleigh, NC
If you’re facing a breast cancer diagnosis or suspicious breast changes, breast-conserving treatments might be available. Dr. Sean T. Canale, MD, at Carolina Breast Care Specialists, PA, in Raleigh, North Carolina, has more than 20 years of specialized surgical experience performing breast-conserving lumpectomy and mastectomy techniques. To schedule a same-day, next-day, or second-opinion consultation, call Carolina Breast Care Specialists, or book an appointment online today.
Lumpectomy Q & A
What is a lumpectomy?
A lumpectomy is a type of surgical procedure that removes abnormal tissue or cancer from inside your breast. Also known as a breast-conserving surgery or wide local excision, this procedure only removes a portion of your breast, unlike a mastectomy that removes all of your breast tissue.
When you have a lumpectomy, Dr. Canale also removes a small perimeter of tissue surrounding your lump. These areas are called margins, and the goal is to have clean or normal margins of healthy breast tissue to guarantee all of your irregular cells have been removed.
Similar to a breast biopsy, a lumpectomy can help Dr. Canale diagnose or rule out breast cancer. It can also be a preliminary therapy for women with early-stage breast cancer.
Why do I need a lumpectomy?
Dr. Canale might recommend a lumpectomy if you’ve had a biopsy revealing the presence of breast cancer. He might also suggest this procedure to remove rust abnormalities that are precancerous or noncancerous.
When you have a lumpectomy, Dr. Canale can remove abnormal tissue or cancer cells without affecting the appearance of your breast. In early-stage breast cancer, this treatment has the same effectivity as having a full mastectomy.
What can I expect during a lumpectomy?
Before your lumpectomy, Dr. Canale provides detailed instructions to help you prepare, including not eating or drinking before your surgery and not taking blood thinners or aspirin, as well as having someone there for support who can drive you home afterward.
During your procedure, Dr. Canale locates your breast abnormality, makes a small incision in your skin, and removes the tissue while you’re under general anesthetic. Some lumpectomies also include a sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary node dissection. These procedures focus on removing a portion or all of the lymph nodes in your armpit near your affected breast.
Depending on the extent of your lumpectomy procedure, you can either leave the same day or after a short hospital stay.
After having a lumpectomy, it’s common to experience some pain and restricted activity for a short period. Dr. Canale works closely with you to manage your pain and provides instructions to help you care for your incision site. He follows up with additional steps for treatment after your tissue undergoes analysis.
For more information on breast lumpectomy, call Carolina Breast Care Specialists, or schedule an appointment online today.
