“The majority of women with breast cancer in this country are having lumpectomies for their breast cancer surgery, but many don’t know there are good reconstruction options for lumpectomies too,” says Dr. Ann Peled, a plastic surgeon in San Francisco who specializes in breast reconstruction. “Even a breast reduction or breast lift falls into that reconstruction category, in this context. Sometimes women think they want to have a mastectomy, but when they hear that they could have a lumpectomy combined with a lift, they realize that might be a better choice for them.”
Your natural breast size and cancer treatment plan will largely influence your lumpectomy outcome and reconstruction options.Â
“If your breasts are small, a lumpectomy may remove a large portion of your breast. This, combined with the radiation, can create a real asymmetry or difference between your two breasts. In this case, a mastectomy and reconstruction may be a better option, especially if it allows you to potentially avoid radiation,” says Dr. Schneider.Â
“On the other hand, if your breasts are large, the plastic surgeon can work together with the breast surgeon to perform a breast reduction at the same time. The breast surgeon takes out the lumpectomy specimen, and then the plastic surgeon rearranges the breast to create a lifted breast with an improved shape. The plastic surgeon will also reduce the other breast, to match the lumpectomy side.”
In a 2015 review of studies and clinical trials called “De-Mythifying Breast Reconstruction,” Dr. Schneider and coauthor Dr. Babak Mehrara wrote, “Breast reconstruction might not be the right choice for every patient, but every patient deserves to have a complete discussion before cancer treatment, to make a fully informed decision. The more involved they are in the decision process, the more likely they are to be satisfied with postoperative outcomes.”
Related: 5 Things You Need to Know About Your Breast Reconstruction Options
