Breast Sparing Surgical Techniques
By Paramjeet Kaur, MD

One in eight women, or 12.6% of all women, will get breast cancer in their lifetime. This may seem incredibly daunting; however, there are more options for breast cancer detection and treatment than ever before. More than 1.7 million women in the United States have survived breast cancer. This is due in part to early detection, increased screening and increased awareness. Sometimes though, mastectomies become necessary. Nearly 50,000 American women per year undergo a mastectomy, which is the removal of one or both breasts. While mastectomies have traditionally been the most concise removal of cancerous tumors, they can be undesirable in the way that even the most expertly reconstructed breast leaves long scars.

However, there are exciting new surgical techniques, including skin and nipple areola-sparing mastectomies that are now available. With the relatively recent introduction of minimally invasive surgical techniques, a long, disfiguring scar can be avoided in most cases. Using a procedure called a skin-sparing mastectomy; the breast tissue is surgically removed while leaving the skin envelope intact. The nipple is removed, in order to assure a thorough removal of the breast tissue, but the areola (the pigmented skin surrounding the nipple) may be preserved in many cases.

In a skin-sparing mastectomy, a minimal incision is placed either around the areola, in the inframammary crease or in a “lollipop-like” shape so that the resulting scar is completely below the nipple. The total removal of a tumor and breast tissue can be made without the unnecessary removal of healthy breast skin.

The cosmetic results of an advanced procedure like this are endless. Following the skin-sparing mastectomy, the empty skin pocket can be tailored to an optimal shape by a reconstructive plastic surgeon. The envelope of skin on the chest is either filled with the patient’s own, existing tissue, prosthesis or a combination of both.

You should continue to practice early detection habits such as self breast examinations and regular mammograms. You should definitely speak with your physician if you notice any lumps, discoloring, rash, nipple discharge or other abnormalities on the breasts. Further, if you are ever faced with breast surgery, keep in mind that there are minimally invasive, cutting edge, options, such as skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomies, available.

Office Locations:

Surgical Associates of Chester County
Paramjeet Kaur, MD
Christopher Olukoga, MD, FACS
George A. Murr, MD, FACS

Brandywine Professional Building
213 Reeceville Road
Suite 23
Coatesville, PA 19320

790 West Lincoln Highway
Exton, PA 19341

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kaur, call 610-384-6550