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Procedure
The patient is brought to the operating room. The woman's breast is cleaned in a sterile manner. Local anesthetic is injected to numb the area. The surgeon's first incision is a short, curved stroke over the area of the lump. The underlying layer of fatty tissue is then cut through in order to reveal the glandular tissue of the breast. This tissue is of soft consistency, amidst which the lump now can more easily be felt and its extent assessed.
The surgeon will take care not to cut into the lump; the dissection is confined to areas well clear of it. Using surgical scissors to pry the tissues apart, and with minimal actual cutting, the surgeon removes the lump, together with a small quantity of apparently normal surrounding breast tissue.
The surgeon may also remove some lymph nodes to assure that the tumor has not spread. A pathologist will examine the tissue to make sure the entire tumor has been removed ("tumor-free margins").
Finally, the surgeon closes the skin incision with a continuous stitch tied only at each end, or with separate stitches, each separately tied. After the operation, the patient feels little discomfort and should be able to leave the hospital in the same day.
The stitches can usually be removed in the physician's office in less than a week. Some temporary swelling within the breast will partly make up for the loss of breast bulk, but the loss may become apparent (though possibly only to the patient) when the swelling has subsided.
Long-term Effects
Lumpectomy is often not a complete therapy by itself - additional measures, such as radiation therapy, may be recommended. Further options include chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
In any event, every lumpectomy patient should have regular medical checkups, including periodic mammography and breast examination (both by the physician and self-exams).
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