What Happens During a Mastectomy

What happens during a mastectomy depends on the type you have.

• Total mastectomy. Your surgeon removes your entire breast. Your underarm lymph nodes and the muscles underneath your breast are left alone.

• Modified radical mastectomy. Your surgeon removes your entire breast and several lymph nodes from under your arm. This is all done during the same surgery.

• Radical mastectomy. Your surgeon removes your entire breast, all your underarm lymph nodes, and your chest wall muscles beneath your breast. This is all done during the same surgery.

If you have a mastectomy, the treatment will probably be combined with one or more other therapies. For example, you may need an adjuvant treatment such as systemic chemotherapy before your surgery. Or you may need radiation after the surgery. How long and how often you need these treatments depends upon your situation. Your doctor will let you know which plan will work best for you.