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Breast lump removal - Risks

Alternative Names

Lumpectomy; Wide local excision; Breast conservation surgery; Breast sparing surgery; Partial mastectomy

Risks:

Risks for any surgery are:

Bleeding
Infection
Reactions to medications

Risks for this procedure are:

The appearance of your breast may change. After surgery, you may notice dimpling, a scar, or a difference in shape between the two breasts.
You may also have numbness in the breast area.

The breast tissue that is removed will be looked at under a microscope after the surgery. If the cancer is too close to the edge of this tissue, you may need another procedure to remove more breast tissue.

Female Breast

Needle biopsy of the breast

Open biopsy of the breast

Breast self-exam

Breast lumps

Lumpectomy

Causes of breast lumps

Breast lump removal - series

Reviewed last on: 1/28/2011
Debra G. Wechter, MD, FACS, General Surgery practice specializing in breast cancer, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washingon. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Carlson RW, Allred DC, Anderson BO, Burstein HJ, Carter WB, Edge SB, et al. Breast cancer. National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology, v2. 2010.

Iglehart JK, Smith BL. Diseases of the breast. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery, 18th ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2008:chap 34.

Khatcheressian JL, Wolff AC, Smith TJ, Grunfeld E, Muss HB, Vogel VG, et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology 2006 update of the breast cancer follow-up and management guidelines in the adjuvant setting. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24(31):5091-5097.

Abeloff MD, Wolff AC, Weber BL, Zaks TZ, Sacchini V, McCormick B. Cancer of the breast. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKena WG, eds. Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 95.

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