Breast Surgery

There are many different breast conditions and diseases that cause infections, cysts or lumps. These abnormalities can be benign - meaning it's harmless, or malignant - meaning it can be infectious. The most common conditions are mastitis (bacterial infection), cysts, benign lumps and cancer. For the screening and diagnosis of breast diseases, we use Breast Ultrasounds and mammograms.

The vast majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer have surgery at some point as an integral part of treatment. The surgery can be done for many different reasons, depending on the circumstances.

Types of Breast Surgery

Mastectomy

A mastectomy is a surgical procedure in which there is the partial or complete removal of one or both breasts. Mastectomies are used in the treatment of breast cancer. In some cases, people considered to be at high risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer have the procedure done to prevent developing breast cancer later down the line.

Lumpectomy

A lumpectomy is a surgical procedure in which a particular section or lump of tissue gets removed from the breast. Lumpectomies can be used in the treatment of malignant tumours as well as the treatment of cancer. In the treatment of breast cancer, lumpectomies are considered to be alternative, breast conservation procedures. This is due to the limited removal of tissue during the procedure; as opposed to mastectomies.

Breast Reconstruction Surgery

Breast reconstruction surgery aims to reshape the breast after a mastectomy or lumpectomy procedure. There are two types of breast reconstruction surgery, namely: implant reconstruction and autologous reconstruction.

Implant reconstruction is a type of restoration in which Dr Makhoba creates a breast shape using an artificial implant. Whereas, Autologous reconstruction uses a flap of skin from another part of the body for the surgery. In some cases, both implant and autologous reconstruction surgery are performed.