Before breast cancer surgery

Some tests will be done before your operation to check for your overall health and that you are ready for the operation like blood tests, ECG, X-rays and other.
You should stop smoking as tobacco lowers the patient’s blood saturation with oxygen and prolong the recovery period
You should stop alcohol consumption because alcohol causes more complications in the procedure and after
You should tell your doctor about the medications that you take because some of them might be stopped like blood thinners because which prolongs bleeding time.

What are the breast cancer surgery types?

There are many different types of breast cancer. The type is determined by the specific kind of cells in the breast that are affected, how big the tumour is and if it has spread to other areas of the body

Simple mastectomy
It is a procedure in which the entire breast is removed but the chest muscle underneath the breast remains. the nipple is also removed and lymph nodes might be removed too.
It is usually done when cancer has not spread beyond the breast or if the surgery is a preventative mastectomy which is done to lower the risk of getting breast cancer.
Most women, if they are hospitalized, can go home the next day.

Radical mastectomy
In this procedure, the breast is completely removed as well as the overlying skin, the muscles beneath the breast, and the lymph nodes.
It’s reserved for cases where breast cancer has spread to the underlying muscles.
This surgery was once very common, but less extensive surgery (such as the modified radical mastectomy) is just as effective and with fewer side effects.

Modified radical mastectomy
Modified radical mastectomy is a less traumatic and more common procedure. It is similar to the radical mastectomy but leaves the chest muscles intact. This means it removes the entire breast and the underarm lymph nodes only.

Skin-sparing mastectomy
It is a variation of the total mastectomy and is normally performed to allow the surgeon to perform breast reconstruction.
The doctor removes breast tissue, the nipple, and the areola but saves most of the skin over the breast.
it may not be suitable for larger tumours or those that are close to the surface of the skin. And the risk of local cancer recurrence with this type of mastectomy is the same as with other types of mastectomies.

Nipple-sparing mastectomy
In this procedure, the doctor removes all the breast tissue, including the ducts going all the way up to the nipple and areola. But they save the skin of the nipple and areola and cut out tissues under and around them. This type of mastectomy is more often an option for women who have a small, early-stage cancer, away (more than 2cm) from the nipple and areola, with no signs of cancer in the skin or the nipple.

After Breast Cancer Surgery

After having a mastectomy, a woman might want to consider having the breast mound rebuilt to restore the breast’s appearance. This is called breast reconstruction.
You’ll probably stay for 1 or 2 days, though it might be longer if you had reconstruction.
Within about four weeks, you’ll probably be comfortable doing all of your regular daily activities.
it’s common to have pain or tenderness in the surgical area.
The incision. The bandage will probably stay in until your first follow-up visit.