Mastectomy Procedure

General anesthesia, which renders the patient unconscious, is administered for all types of
mastectomy. The surgeon makes a curved cut, called an elliptical incision, into the skin. The
incision includes the nipple, areola, and the biopsy scar.

The tumor and all of the breast tissue, including the nipple and areola, are removed. The initial
incision may extend to the armpit to allow for removal of the lymph nodes. If a radical
mastectomy is being performed, the surgeon also removes the muscles beneath the breast. At the
end of the operation, one or two drains are inserted to drain excess fluid that may collect under
the skin.

Every effort is made to leave as much healthy skin intact as possible, but sometimes a substantial
amount of skin is removed, resulting in a large, possibly disfiguring scar, and making breast
reconstruction difficult.

A mastectomy usually takes 2 to 3 hours to perform. A radical mastectomy may take longer
because the surgery is more complex.