Breast lump removal

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Female Breast

Needle biopsy of the breast

Open biopsy of the breast

Breast self-exam

Breast lumps

Lumpectomy

Causes of breast lumps

Breast lump removal - series

Overview

Recovery

Risks

Breast lump removal

Alternative Names:

Lumpectomy; Wide local excision; Excisional Biopsy

Expectations after surgery:

The outcome of a lumpectomy depends on the type of lump found. If the lump is benign, the outcome is usually without complications. If the lump is cancerous, the outcome depends on the type and extent of the tumor's spread.

Depending on the circumstances, a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy to the breast yields the same long-term survival as a mastectomy. After mastectomy, some women choose to have a surgical reconstruction of the breast.

Lumpectomy typically does not require breast reconstruction.

Convalescence:

The recovery period is very short for a simple lumpectomy. Most women are able to resume their usual activities in a week or so.

When cancer is found, follow-up treatment will be scheduled.

Review Date: 4/13/2004
Reviewed By: John A. Daller, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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