A modified radical mastectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the entire breast, including the nipple, areola, and breast skin, as well as tissue lining the muscles of the breast area and portions of lymph nodes. It is recommended for women with large tumors or affected lymph nodes. The procedure takes two to four hours and can include breast reconstruction. Patients may experience pain, arm numbness, and fatigue, and may need chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Other types of mastectomies are also available. Complications such as internal bleeding, long-term wounds, and infections can occur.
A modified radical mastectomy is a surgical procedure in which a surgeon usually removes a breast cancer patient’s entire breast, including the nipple, areola, and breast skin. The tissue lining the muscles of the breast area and portions of lymph nodes near the armpit are usually removed during a modified radical mastectomy. Doctors may recommend this type of surgical procedure for some women who have large tumors, especially if lymph nodes are affected. Some doctors treat breast cancer patients with other forms of treatment besides breast surgery. Women can have other types of mastectomy surgery instead of a modified radical mastectomy.
In most cases, a modified radical mastectomy procedure takes two to four hours. A surgeon typically makes an incision across half of a patient’s chest and removes breast tissue and lymph nodes. Small drainage tubes are usually placed in the area of the breast where the surgery was done to drain fluid into an attached suction device, and the tubes are often removed about a week after surgery. Doctors can perform breast reconstruction during a modified radical mastectomy procedure using artificial implants or portions of body tissue. Some patients choose to delay breast reconstruction until a later date.
Patients who experience pain after breast surgery may be given a prescription for pain medication. Some women develop arm numbness if small nerves near lymph nodes are cut during surgery. Many female patients experience fatigue after a modified radical mastectomy and may benefit from a reduced physical activity program for two weeks following surgery. In some cases, doctors also prescribe chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Doctors also use other types of mastectomies to treat some women with breast cancer. A radical mastectomy may be performed in cases where the cancer has spread to the muscles in the chest wall. Radical mastectomies generally include the removal of the chest muscles and all underarm lymph nodes near the affected breast, as well as the removal of the entire breast. A total mastectomy typically includes the removal of an entire breast and a biopsy of nearby lymph nodes. Subcutaneous mastectomies usually include the removal of breast tissue while keeping the breast skin, areola, and nipple tissue intact for breast reconstruction.
Some patients undergoing breast surgery experience internal bleeding in an area where a breast has been removed. In some cases, the chest wall can develop long-term wounds from mastectomy surgeries. Shoulder pain and arm swelling can occur in patients who have had lymph nodes removed during breast surgery. Blood clots, post-surgical infections and abnormal bleeding have been reported in some breast operated patients.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
