Mastectomy

Overview

Mastectomy is surgery to remove one or both breasts, most often to treat or, in some high-risk cases, to help prevent breast cancer. It is one of the main surgical treatments for breast cancer, alongside breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy).

There are several types, ranging from removing only the breast tissue to also removing skin, the nipple, or nearby lymph nodes, depending on the cancer and the treatment plan. Many women can also have breast reconstruction, either at the same time or later, to rebuild the breast shape.

Mastectomy is usually one part of a wider breast cancer treatment plan that may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy. This page is an educational overview only — it is not medical advice, and no outcome can be guaranteed.

Who May Need This

Mastectomy may be considered for people with breast cancer when the tumour is large relative to the breast, when there is cancer in more than one area of the breast, when breast-conserving surgery is not suitable, or when a person prefers mastectomy. It is also used for certain aggressive or recurrent cancers.

Some people at very high genetic risk of breast cancer — for example carriers of certain gene changes — may consider preventive (risk-reducing) mastectomy after careful counselling. The decision is deeply personal and is made with a breast surgeon and, where relevant, a genetics specialist and oncologist, based on your diagnosis, risk, and wishes.

When It May Be Recommended

A surgeon may recommend mastectomy when it offers the best chance of removing the cancer completely, when radiotherapy after lumpectomy is not possible, or when the cancer's size, type, or spread makes breast-conserving surgery inappropriate. In some cases, chemotherapy is given first to shrink the tumour before surgery.

The choice between mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery is made together with the medical team, weighing cancer control, the need for radiotherapy, reconstruction options, and personal preference. The final recommendation always depends on individual evaluation by a multidisciplinary team.

Diagnosis and Evaluation

Diagnosis and planning involve imaging such as mammography, ultrasound, and sometimes breast MRI, together with a biopsy that confirms the cancer and its characteristics (including hormone receptor and HER2 status). These results guide the whole treatment plan.

Further tests may check whether the cancer has spread, and the lymph nodes are assessed, often with a sentinel node biopsy at the time of surgery. Genetic counselling may be offered when family history or age suggests inherited risk. A review of your general health and anaesthetic fitness completes the preparation.

Treatment Options

Surgical options for breast cancer include breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) with radiotherapy and mastectomy. Mastectomy itself has several forms — total (simple), skin-sparing, nipple-sparing, and modified radical (which includes underarm lymph nodes) — chosen according to the cancer and reconstruction plans.

Reconstruction options include implants or using your own tissue (flap reconstruction), performed immediately or later. Beyond surgery, the plan may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy. The best combination is decided by the multidisciplinary team based on the tumour and your preferences.

How It Is Performed

Mastectomy is performed under general anaesthesia. The surgeon removes the breast tissue through an incision planned to suit the cancer and any reconstruction. Skin-sparing and nipple-sparing techniques preserve as much skin as safely possible to improve the reconstructed result.

The lymph nodes under the arm are often evaluated at the same time — a sentinel node biopsy samples the first draining nodes, and more nodes are removed if cancer has spread. If immediate reconstruction is planned, a plastic surgeon may work alongside the breast surgeon. Drains are commonly placed to remove fluid, and the operation's length depends on the extent and whether reconstruction is done.

Preparation

Preparation includes completing staging tests and imaging, discussing reconstruction options, and reviewing your medications — especially blood thinners — with your doctor. You will receive fasting instructions before anaesthesia, and stopping smoking is strongly advised because it affects wound and flap healing.

Emotional preparation and support are important; many centres offer counselling and specialist breast care nurses. If arranging care abroad, bring copies of your pathology, imaging, and treatment plan, confirm the recommended in-country stay, and plan how chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and follow-up will be coordinated at home.

Benefits and Expected Goals

The goal of mastectomy is to remove the breast cancer and reduce the risk of it returning, as part of a broader treatment plan. For those at very high inherited risk, preventive mastectomy substantially lowers — though does not entirely eliminate — future breast cancer risk.

Benefits vary with the stage and biology of the cancer and the overall treatment plan. Reconstruction can help restore body image, though results and timing vary. Surgery is an important step, but ongoing treatment and monitoring are usually needed. Your team can discuss realistic goals for your specific situation.

Risks and Possible Complications

Mastectomy is generally safe, but like all major surgery it carries risks, which increase if reconstruction is done at the same time.

• Bleeding, infection, or delayed wound healing
• Fluid collection under the skin (seroma) needing drainage
• Numbness or altered sensation of the chest and inner arm
• Arm swelling (lymphoedema), more likely if many lymph nodes are removed
• Reconstruction-related problems such as implant issues or partial flap loss, and blood clots

Your surgeon will explain the risks that apply to your surgery and reconstruction. Report fever, spreading redness, heavy bleeding, or breathing problems promptly.

Recovery, Follow-up & Aftercare

Recovery varies by the type of surgery and whether reconstruction is done. Many people go home within one to three days, sometimes with drains that stay in for one to two weeks. Light activity often resumes within two to four weeks, with gentle arm and shoulder exercises to restore movement, avoiding heavy lifting as advised.

Aftercare includes wound and drain care, physiotherapy, and emotional support. Pathology results guide any further treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or hormone therapy, and long-term follow-up monitors for recurrence. Arrange coordinated follow-up before travelling home, and report signs of infection, clots, or arm swelling promptly.

Medical Tourism Planning

Breast cancer surgery can be arranged abroad, but it is most successful as part of coordinated, multidisciplinary cancer care. Choose a JCI- or ISO-accredited hospital with a dedicated breast or oncology unit, on-site pathology, and access to reconstruction, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

Plan carefully how additional treatments and long-term follow-up will be delivered at home, since cancer care continues well beyond surgery. Request a written treatment plan and cost estimate, confirm the recommended in-country stay, arrange follow-up with your oncologist at home, and consider medical travel insurance.

Estimated Cost Factors

The cost of mastectomy depends on the country and hospital, the surgeon's and anaesthetist's fees, the type of mastectomy, whether lymph nodes are removed, and whether reconstruction is done (and by which method). Staging tests, pathology, hospital stay, and any additional cancer treatments all affect the total.

Many international destinations offer breast cancer surgery at a fraction of typical US prices, but figures vary widely by case, especially with reconstruction and adjunct therapies. Prices quoted online are only estimates — always request a personalized written quote for your specific situation before deciding.

Choosing a Hospital or Specialist

Look for a hospital with recognised accreditation (JCI, ISO, or a strong national equivalent) and a dedicated breast cancer or oncology programme with a multidisciplinary team. Confirm the breast surgeon's board certification and experience, and the availability of reconstructive surgery, pathology, and oncology support.

Ask about international patient services, interpreter support, psychological support, and how ongoing treatment and follow-up would be coordinated with your home team. Transparent, written cost and treatment plans and good patient feedback indicate a quality programme.

Alternatives

For many breast cancers, breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) with radiotherapy is an alternative that offers similar cancer control to mastectomy in suitable cases. Some tumours are treated with chemotherapy or hormone therapy first to shrink them, which may change the surgical options.

For preventive surgery in high-risk individuals, alternatives include enhanced screening and risk-reducing medication. Each option has different benefits, risks, and follow-up needs. Discuss all of them with your multidisciplinary team so the plan fits your cancer, risk, and preferences.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• Is mastectomy necessary in my case, or is breast-conserving surgery an option?
• Which type of mastectomy do you recommend, and why?
• Can I have reconstruction, and should it be immediate or delayed?
• Will my lymph nodes be removed, and what does that mean for arm swelling risk?
• What additional treatments am I likely to need, and how will they be coordinated at home?
• How long should I stay in-country, and when can I safely fly home?
• What is included in the written cost estimate?