Lumpectomy is performed under anesthesia; hence, the procedure itself is not painful. After the surgery and recovery from anesthesia, patients may experience pain, which usually resolves in a few days and can be minimized with painkillers prescribed by the doctor.
Lumpectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a tumor (benign or malignant) or other abnormal tissue from the breasts. In a lumpectomy, only the affected portion of the breast is removed, without removing much healthy breast tissues. A lumpectomy is also called breast-conserving surgery or wide local excision. Lumpectomy is a commonly performed surgery but still major surgery with risks and potential complications like any surgery. In the case of breast cancer, additional treatments may be required following a lumpectomy such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. For non-cancerous (benign) tumors, a lumpectomy may suffice.
Fibroadenoma is the most common type of non-cancerous tumor of the breast. It usually occurs in young, pre-menopausal women aged between 15 and 40 years. They may also arise during pregnancy or breastfeeding. They usually do not cause complications and can be treated easily with surgery.
Breast cancer arises from the cells of the breasts and can spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). Although extremely rare, breast cancer can sometimes occur in men. If the growth is relatively small, without local invasion, and limited to one breast, a lumpectomy can be done. If not, other surgical procedures may be required.
When is a lumpectomy not done?
A lumpectomy may be contraindicated in the following cases:
- Multiple tumors in the breast that cannot be removed with a lumpectomy, which could affect the appearance of your breast
- Radiation therapy to the breast before surgery
- Cancer that has spread throughout the breast or opposite breast and involving the overlying skin
- Having a large tumor with small breasts, which may cause a poor cosmetic result
- If there is no access to radiation therapy because radiation therapy may be required for cancerous growths after a lumpectomy
- History of scleroderma (a condition that causes hardening of the skin and other tissues), making healing difficult after surgery
- History of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune, chronic inflammatory disease
How is a lumpectomy performed?
During the procedure:
A lumpectomy is usually performed under general anesthesia, so there will be no pain or discomfort during the procedure. The surgeon makes a cut over the tumor or area of abnormal tissue. The tumor is completely removed along with a margin of the surrounding healthy tissue and then sent to the lab for analysis by the pathologist.
The surgeon then closes the incisions with stitches (sutures) that may be absorbable and dissolve on their own or removed later by the surgeon.
After the procedure:
- Painkillers and antibiotics would be administered
- The dressing may be removed after 48 hours
- Patients may be discharged the same day or 24 hours after the surgery
- Postoperative pain, swelling, and bruising is normal and usually resolves in a week
- Patients can resume daily activities after 24-72 hours of surgery
- Complete recovery may take around two to four weeks
What are the complications of a lumpectomy?
Some possible complications include:
- Bleeding
- Hematoma (blood clot formation)
- Infection
- Pain
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Reaction to anesthesia
- Decreased sensation or numbness around the surgical site, which is usually transient
- Formation of unsightly hard scar tissue or a keloid at the surgical site
- Change in the shape, symmetry, and appearance of the breast
- Recurrence of a tumor if tumor cells are left behind
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Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is an invasive tumor that develops in the mammary gland. Breast cancer is detected via mammograms, breast self-examination (BSE), biopsy, and specialized testing on breast cancer tissue. Treatment of breast cancer may involve surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Breast cancer risk may be lowered by managing controllable risk factors.
What you should know about breast cancer
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women.
- One in every eight women in the United States develops breast cancer.
- There are many types of breast cancer that differ in their capability of spreading (metastasize) to other body tissues.
- The causes of breast cancer are unknown, although medical professionals have identified a number of risk factors.
- There are 11 common types of breast cancer and 4 uncommon types of breast cancer.
- Breast cancer early signs and symptoms include
- a lump in the breast or armpit,
- bloody nipple discharge,
- inverted nipple,
- orange-peel texture or dimpling of the breast's skin (peau d'orange),
- breast pain or sore nipple,
- swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpit, and
- a change in the size or shape of the breast or nipple.
- Breast cancer can also be symptom free, which makes following national screening recommendations an important practice.
- Breast cancer is diagnosed during a physical exam, by a self-exam of the breasts, mammography, ultrasound testing, and biopsy.
- Treatment of breast cancer depends on the type of cancer and its stage (0-IV) and may involve surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
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Breast Lumps (in Women)
Breast lumps in women can have a variety of causes such as breast inflammation, infection, injuries, cancer, and non-cancerous growths. Breast lumps in women are diagnosed with physical exam, mammogram, ultrasound, MRI, and biopsy. Treatment of breast lumps in women depend on the cause.
Common Medical Abbreviations & Terms
Doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals use abbreviations, acronyms, and other terminology for instructions and information in regard to a patient's health condition, prescription drugs they are to take, or medical procedures that have been ordered. There is no approved this list of common medical abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology used by doctors and other health- care professionals. You can use this list of medical abbreviations and acronyms written by our doctors the next time you can't understand what is on your prescription package, blood test results, or medical procedure orders. Examples include:
- ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease.
- ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure
- cap: Capsule.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea.
- DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis.
- DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- HA: Headache
- IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- JT: Joint
- N/V: Nausea or vomiting.
- p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os.
- q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily.
- RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
- SOB: Shortness of breath.
- T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the "vital signs."
Is Lumpectomy a Major Surgery?
Lumpectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a mass (cancerous or non-cancerous) from the breasts. In a lumpectomy, only the affected portion of the breast is removed, without removing the surrounding healthy breast tissue. Lumpectomy is also called breast-conserving surgery.