Oncoplastic Breast Conservation
Bringing Together Breast Surgery and Plastic Surgery
As advances in breast cancer surgery continue, you now have more options available through a multidisciplinary specialty called oncoplastic breast surgery.
Oncoplastic breast surgery brings together breast surgeons and reconstructive plastic surgeons to give women positive long-term oncologic results as well as satisfactory cosmetic and functional outcomes.
It is the combination of a traditional lumpectomy with a standard breast reduction procedure.
- Lumpectomy is the surgical portion of breast conservation therapy offered to women who wish to save their breasts in the treatment of their breast cancer.
- Breast reduction or reduction mammaplasty is a surgery that reduces the size and elevates the breast. After a lumpectomy, a reduction mammoplasty and rearrangement of the remaining breast tissue is performed followed by a matching procedure on the other breast.
Working Side-by-Side
Oncoplastic breast surgery involves breast surgeons and plastic surgeons working side-by-side in Woman’s operating rooms to perform the lumpectomy and breast reduction.
During a lumpectomy, the tumor and an ample margin of healthy tissue is removed. After the breast surgeon’s role is complete, a plastic surgeon assesses what tissue remains, and reshapes a smaller, more elevated, and naturally rounded breast. The nipple and areola remain attached to the underlying breast tissue in most cases and is moved up to a higher position on the chest wall.
If only one breast is treated for cancer, the other breast is typically reduced during the same surgery. The patient can undergo removal of her cancer and complete her reconstruction in just one operation. This is all done using the patient's own breast tissue.
Benefits of Oncoplastic Surgery
An oncoplastic reduction allows medium to large-breasted women to preserve their breasts and still remove the same breast tissue that would also be removed with a traditional lumpectomy.
Radiation will follow this procedure, just as in a traditional lumpectomy. There is no compromise in cancer care. Improved breast symmetry means women are more pleased with the cosmetic results.
Who is a Candidate for Oncoplastic Breast Reduction?
- The best candidates are patients who would benefit from breast reduction surgery and have heavy, large breasts with symptoms of back pain, neck pain, shoulder grooving, or rashes under the breast.
- Patients with moderate- to large-sized breasts are also potential candidates.
- Women who have had prior breast surgery are candidates for oncoplastic reduction.
- Women with very small breasts and women who are actively smoking are not good candidates.