Prophylactic Mastectomy

Prophylactic Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction

Some women find significant peace of mind in having preventative surgery, because their risk of developing cancer is considerable. Prophylactic mastectomy is surgery to remove one or both breasts in order to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in the future. The need for frequent surveillance, numerous biopsies, and the fear of developing cancer can be reduced, if not eliminated, with prophylactic mastectomy.

When combined with immediate reconstruction, a woman having, prophylactic mastectomies can wake up from the surgery with reconstructed breasts. When nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy are combined with autologous tissue reconstruction, the newly reconstructed breasts will be as realistic and natural-looking as possible.

Women considering prophylactic mastectomy are likely to:

• Have a strong family history of breast cancer
• Have a personal history of breast cancer or at present have breast cancer in one breast
• Have tested positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations
• Have been diagnosed with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
• Have had radiation therapy to the chest before age 30
• Have widely spread breast microcalcifications or have dense breasts; both of these factors make breast cancer screening more challenging.

If you are or may be at high risk for developing breast cancer, it’s important to discuss all your options for risk reduction and surveillance with your doctors. Prophylactic mastectomy can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer roughly 90 to 95 percent. Nevertheless, making a decision about whether or not to undergo this procedure will obviously be considered very carefully. The availability of high quality breast reconstruction may help make your decision about a prophylactic mastectomy easier.

Contact us if you would like to make an appointment to discuss breast reconstruction after mastectomy.