A simple mastectomy (also known as a total mastectomy) is the complete removal of a breast to treat cases of breast cancer. This removal includes the nipple and the areola.
Reasons
Typically, simple mastectomy is performed on patients with multiple or large instances of cancer or on patients who want to prevent breast cancer from occurring.
Surgery
Surgery consists of one incision across the patient's chest, allowing the removal of the entire breast. A simple mastectomy can take up to two hours, but more time would be needed if the lymph nodes need to be examined or if the patient has opted for reconstructive surgery of the breast.
Lymph Nodes
In a simple mastectomy, lymph nodes in the underarms are not intentionally removed (a procedure called axillary lymph node dissection). Lymph nodes may be removed if they are in the breast tissue during the surgery. However, lymph nodes may need to be examined in the process for the presence of cancer cells.
Aftermath
Recovery involves one or two days in the hospital and prescription of pain medication for the first week after surgery. Over-the-counter medicine should be sufficient to ease discomfort after the first week. The aftermath of the surgery also results in the temporary presence of a drain to remove excess fluid. The patient is responsible for dealing with the drain until its removal in a few days' time.
Radiation
After the surgery, a patient may need to undergo radiation therapy if the size of the tumor is larger than 2 inches, if there are cancer cells near the chest wall or if an analysis shows that the lymph nodes have cancer cells.
Tags: cancer cells, lymph nodes, breast cancer, first week, lymph nodes need, need examined
