Mastectomy

A mastectomy is an operation to remove a woman’s breast, usually because it has been affected by breast cancer. It is also used to remove non-cancerous breasts in order to reduce the risk of breast cancer developing in women who are at high risk. This is known as a prophylactic (risk-reducing) mastectomy.

Read more about why mastectomies are used.

Mastectomies are very safe procedures with minimal complications. Afterwards, most people recover well.

How effective a mastectomy can treat breast cancer will depend on the stage of the cancer when it was originally diagnosed.

Read more about recovering from a mastectomy.

Types of mastectomy

There are seven types of mastectomy, which are briefly described below.

• If a large segment of your breast is removed this is called a segmental mastectomy.
• If all the breast tissue and most of the skin covering it is removed this is called a simple mastectomy.
• If all of the breast tissue is removed and the nipple, but most of the skin covering it is left, this is called a skin-sparing mastectomy. This is carried out when you plan to have immediate breast reconstruction surgery after the mastectomy.
• If you have a skin-sparing mastectomy but the nipple is not removed, this is called a subcutaneous mastectomy. This is also done when you plan to have immediate breast reconstruction.
• A radical mastectomy is when all of the breast tissue is removed, plus the skin covering it, the two muscles behind the breast and the lymph nodes (glands) in the armpit. This is an uncommon operation which is only carried out if cancer has affected the muscles. 
• If you have a radical mastectomy but the large muscle behind the breast (the pectoral muscle) is left in place, this is called a modified radical mastectomy. 
• If you have a modified radical mastectomy but both of the muscles behind the breast are left in place, this is called a modified modified radical mastectomy. This is now the most common form of mastectomy.

If a lump is removed from the breast, the procedure used is called a lumpectomy. This is also known as breast-conserving surgery.

If you need to have a mastectomy, your surgeon will explain why you require the procedure and what type of mastectomy you need. Read more about how mastectomies are performed.

Breast reconstruction

After your breast has been removed, further surgery may be needed to create an artificial breast. This is known as breast reconstruction.

Continue to next section: Why mastectomy is necessary