Mastectomy

Details

Mastectomy is a surgical procedure that is generally performed in the early stages of breast cancer to prevent the spread of cancerous cells. The surgery involves removing the entire breast, the entire mammary gland, the areola, the nipple and part of the breast skin.

If the tumor is larger than the volume of the breast, there are several tumors of the same breast, breast cancer recurrence, and histological analysis shows that surgical treatment should be completed, Mastectomy is generally applied. Although breast loss is perceived as a problem in the first place for women, it is mostly accepted directly because it is a solution for the treatment and non-spread of cancer. Sometimes women can choose Mastectomy to feel safer, even when there is no cancer threat. In addition, there is a separate procedure for reconstructing the breast after or during Mastectomy and is used frequently and with high satisfaction.

Who Is This For?

• Women who have more than one cancerous tumor in their breast
• Women whose tumor is large compared to the size of their breast
• Women who do not want or cannot have radiation therapy

Treatment Duration

2-3 hours

Potential Risks & Side Effects

• General surgical risks
• Loss of sensitivity or skin pain around the incision
• Extreme sensitivity to touch in the surgery area
• A wound infection
• Slow healing of the wound
• Pain, nausea or lack of appetite

Recovery Time

Mastectomy surgery is safe and relatively short,  it may extend if performed with breast reconstruction. It is required short hospital stay which is only one or two nights. Most patients can return to normal activities in one to two weeks.

Success Rate: 82%

Alternative Treatments

•  Radiotherapy
• Chemotherapy

How Does it Work?

Mastectomy is a surgery of the affected breast and often combined with other treatments such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy. It is the most recommended treatment for removing a large number of the cells that form the cancerous tumor in the breast, but also for checking whether the disease has spread to the lymph nodes and for treating a recurrence.

What Does Mastectomy Surgery Involve?

1. Consultation for Mastectomy

As in every process, you will take an online consultation to make sure that you’re a suitable candidate for the mastectomy surgery. During this consultation, your health story will be learned in detail and you will be asked your current situation of tumor evolution, stage of breast cancer, any surgery that you have experienced before, or the biopsy and imaging results. Thus, we can better evaluate your case and prepare a customized treatment plan for you.

In light of all the information you provide, it will be decided whether you are eligible for this treatment and if you want to continue the process, the second phase will begin.

2. Planning Your Trip and Choosing the Clinic

This is the stage where you choose one of the clinics and doctors we offer you according to your needs, and also where we arrange the date and trip plan that suits you and your clinic/surgeon choice.

3. Final Consultation with Your Surgeon

When you arrive at the clinic, you will have a face-to-face consultation with your mastectomy surgeon. Everything about your surgery will be discussed and decided during this consultation. The surgeon will ask you some questions to try to understand your concerns and expactations better and also make you understand what you should expect from your treatment and the potential risks or complications of the procedure. You will also decide together the individualized follow-up plan that can be followed after the surgery. The surgeon will explain the whole process clearly in order for you to feel comfortable and ready. 

4. Medical Examinations

Before the surgery begins, your surgeon will conduct physical and blood tests to make sure that you are in acceptable health status for the surgery. Every patient is required to undergo medical tests to ensure that nothing can hinder the success of the surgery and if any risk obtained, surgeons prioritize to eliminate them as much as possible before the procedure.

5. Surgery

On the day of the procedure, the healthcare team will prepare the breast and armpit on the side to be operated on and you will shower with an antiseptic product. A premedication, which aims to calm you down will be given before entering the operating room. The surgeon then makes the incisions and removes the entire gland. It retains the skin of the breast but removes the nipple and areola. The final scar is horizontal and extends to the armpit. If a lymph node removal is necessary, it is most often performed during the same procedure. If performing breast reconstruction immediately after removing your breast tissue is part of your treatment plan, your plastic surgeon will perform reconstruction. After the procedure is done and incisions are closed, a drainage system is in place to prevent the accumulation of lymph and / or blood in the operating area.

What Should I Expect from Mastectomy?

• Mastectomy is an effective surgical procedure to treat breast cancer and usually leaves scars as it results in the removal of the entire breast and its related tissues. Fading scars from mastectomy surgery can take months or years but never disappear completely. But breast reconstruction can improve the appearance of scars.
• The scar only requires careful washing every day followed by thorough drying.
• You can take a shower or sponge baths but surgeons advise you to wait 1 month before taking a bath or going to the swimming pool.
• You will be able to resume your daily activities but will have to wait for the surgeon's opinion regarding a sports activity.
• All of the emotions you will experience throughout the process are normal and natural, please accept them all. Know that you are not alone in feeling fear, anger and sadness after such a procedure. Like experiencing these feelings, it is common to feel happiness and relaxation as recovery progresses.

Things You Should Consider Before Mastectomy Surgery

• You will need someone to drive you home as you have received medication that might slow your responses, so make sure to arrange.
• You should stop smoking, if you still smoke.
• You should stop eating or drinking anything after midnight on the night before your surgery
•  Any medications that you take routinely may be arranged byu your surgeon before the mastectomy surgery.
•  Inform your surgeon if you are taking any blood thinning medication, and your allergies to any medication.
• Taking aspirin or aspirin-containing products for 10 days before the mastectomy surgery is not allowed.
• It is better to wear and bring comfortable clothing such as a loose dress with a zipper or buttons in front.

FAQ

Is Mastectomy Procedure Painful?

You may feel pain or soreness after the procedure is done. However, your surgeon may prescribe painkillers to relieve this pain and discomfort.

What Is the Breast Reconstruction Surgery After Mastectomy?

Any woman, whatever her age or the stage of progress of her breast cancer can be candidate for a breast reconstruction surgery after Mastectomy. Eligibility to the procedure depends on the general state of health and in the risk factors which may lead to complications after surgery (smoking, significant overweight etc.).

There are two basic breast reconstruction options. Breasts can be reconstructed using implants or using autologous tissue (tissue elsewhere in the body). Sometimes both implants and autologous tissue can be used together. Breast reconstruction surgery can be performed during Mastectomy, or it can be performed after mastectomy recovery is finished and breast cancer treatment is completed.

Costs

Reviews

Overall Satisfaction 5.0 Based on 2 reviews

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• Verified Review
  Leon, Bosnia And Herzegovina
  Aug 2018
  Flymedi did everything very quickly and professional. They arranged the hospital and gave me options on which one to choose. From the first contact I was very impressed and Mustafa took very good care of my wife and I. He even took a day of work to take us to the Bosphorus. Flymedi is the company to use if you require any private medical treatment. There service to the client is better than first class. Gaziozmanpasa hospital was fantastic and ALL the staff from the Administrators to the Medical Team who were involved in my wife's breast cancer treatment were beyond excellent. They treated you as if you were the most important person there. The facilities were excellent and the hospital is immaculate throughout. A great big thank you to all involved. A special thank you to Mustafa Gamze and Elif for there personal care and attention. Mustafa is a terrific representative of Flymedi.
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• Verified Review
  Vasile, Romania
  Jan 2018
  Nu o sa regretati niciodata ca ati ales servicile Flymedi.Foarte corecti si fara prea multe vorbe .Mutumesc mult Flymedi
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