What is Mastectomy?

Mastectomy is breast cancer surgery that removes the entire breast. A mastectomy might be done:

-When a woman cannot be treated with breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), which saves most of the breast.

-If a woman chooses mastectomy over breast-conserving surgery for personal reasons.

-For women at very high risk of getting a second breast cancer who sometimes choose to have a double mastectomy (the removal of both breasts).

There are several different types of mastectomies, based on how the surgery is done and how much tissue is removed. Dr. Tedesco is an expert in his field and will discuss the best option for each individual patient.