Benign (noncancerous) growths such as cysts seldom need surgery unless they get large and painful. However, your Southwest Surgical Associates provider may recommend breast surgery to remove benign growths such as:
Breast cancer occurs when cellular DNA changes, causing cells to grow out of control and develop into a tumor.
The two most common breast cancers include:
DCIS, the most common type of breast cancer, begins in the ducts that carry milk to the nipple.
Invasive lobular carcinoma starts as a benign tumor (lobular carcinoma in situ) in the milk-producing glands, and then it turns into an invasive cancer.
Southwest Surgical Associates have extensive experience diagnosing benign and malignant tumors, then recommending the best treatment for your condition. You may need:
A lumpectomy procedure removes a cancerous tumor along with some of the surrounding tissue.
If your cancer spreads, you need a mastectomy to remove all or part of your breast.
Your surgeon removes the breast while preserving the nipple and skin, making it easier to reconstruct your breast.
To remove benign tumors, your surgeon inserts a vacuum-powered probe into the tumor. Then they use gentle suction to pull a sample of the tumor into the probe’s chamber, repeating the process until they remove the mass.
The sentinel lymph nodes are the closest nodes to the tumor and the first to receive cancer cells if the disease spreads. Your surgeon may only remove the sentinel lymph nodes or perform an axillary dissection, removing the nodes under your arm along with the sentinel nodes.
When your surgeon can’t feel the tumor, they use real-time X-ray imaging to insert a thin wire through your breast to the lump. During your lumpectomy, the wire shows your surgeon the area to remove.
After a lumpectomy, your surgeon places a small balloon-like device into the space where the tumor was removed. The device connects to a machine that sends radiation treatment through the device and into the nearby tissues.
If you have questions about breast surgery, call Southwest Surgical Associates or book an appointment online today.
After discovering a lump in your breast, the highly skilled surgeons at Southwest Surgical Associates determine whether it’s benign or malignant, explain your breast surgery options, and offer personalized attention throughout your treatment.
When you need comprehensive care, compassionate attention, and help to navigate the difficult and emotional journey of breast surgery, call the office in Cypress, Katy, Sugarland, Pearland, or Houston, Texas, or book an appointment online today.