What is

Prophylactic Surgery?
• Is a form of surgery whose purpose is to minimize or
prevent the risk of developing cancer in an organ or gland
that has yet to develop cancer and is known to be at high
risk of developing cancer.
•  This form of preventive healthcare may include surgeries
such as mastectomies, oophorectomies, colectomies and
surgical corrections, such as the surgical correction
of cryptorchidism or undescended testis.
•  Another less common definition of prophylactic surgery
also includes the prevention of other diseases, outcomes
or even future appearance.
The following factors are considered when physicians, nurses,
patients, and families discuss possible prophylactic surgery;
• Family history and genetic predisposition
• Presence or absence of symptoms
• Potential risks and benefits
• Ability to detect cancer at an early stage
• The patient’s acceptance of the postoperative outcome
 Types of prophylactic surgery

• Prophylactic mastectomy- is the surgical removal of breast tissue to remove cells that are
at risk of developing cancer. These are most commonly done in women whom
have BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations discovered from gene testing, have already had cancer
in one breast, have a family history of breast cancer or have undergone radiation therapy
to their chest increasing their risk of developing breast cancer. 
• Prophylactic salpingectomy-  is the surgical removal of the Fallopian tube which when
done as a preventive measure, may be done to prevent pregnancies as a form
of contraception, or as a method to prevent cancer. 
• Prophylactic oophorectomy-is the removal of the ovaries and is either done as a planned
response to the genetic risk of ovarian or breast cancer, especially among women whom
have a hereditary family history of ovarian cancer, have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations,
or have developed breast cancer in the past.
 Types of prophylactic surgery

• Prophylactic Colectomy- is the removal of part or all of the colon in an

effort to prevent cancer in the colon. This is especially prevalent in
individuals with hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes like
hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer or familial adenomatous
polyposis.
• Prophylactic appendectomy is the removal of the appendix in order to
remove the chances of developing appendicitis as the leading cause
of acute intra-abdominal disease in more than 50% of all cases.
 What is
Palliative Surgery?

• When cure is not possible, the goals of treatment are to make the
patient as comfortable as possible and to promote quality of life as
defined by the patient and his or her family.
• Palliative surgery is performed in an attempt to relieve complications
of cancer, such as ulceration, obstruction, hemorrhage, pain, and
malignant effusion .
 What is
Reconstructive Surgery?
• are performed on patients with physical deformities and
abnormalities caused by traumatic injuries, birth defects,
developmental abnormalities, or disease.
• The goals of reconstructive surgery differ from those of
cosmetic surgery; while cosmetic surgery is performed to
reshape normal structures of the body to improve the
patient's appearance and self-esteem, reconstructive
surgery is performed on abnormal or damaged structures of
the body.
• Reconstructive surgery may be indicated for breast, head
and neck, and skin cancers.