Breast Surgery
Overview
Breast surgery is a procedure performed on a female or male’s breast(s). There are different types of breast surgeries. Some are performed for medical reasons such as cancer, others for cosmetic reasons (plastic surgery).
Medical reasons:
- Breast cancer surgery (lumpectomy, mastectomy). Either part or all of the breast and possibly the nearby lymph nodes are removed to get rid of the cancer.
- Preventative surgery (mastectomy). Sometimes breasts are removed to prevent breast cancer.
- Removal of non-cancer breast lumps. Some non-cancer breast lumps may need to be removed.
- Breast reduction. The breast size is decreased. (Note that this may also be performed for cosmetic reasons.)
Cosmetic reasons:
- Breast reconstruction. The most common time for this is after breast cancer surgery.
- Breast augmentation. The breast size is increased.
- Breast reduction. The breast size is decreased. (Note that this may also be performed for medical reasons.)
