When surgery is needed, our breast surgeons manage both benign and cancerous conditions, including reconstruction and cosmetic procedures. They work closely within the dedicated Breast Care Centre to ensure coordinated, appropriate, and patient-centred care.
Surgery is not always the first step — but when it is needed, it should be approached with care, precision, and coordination.
Our breast surgeons manage a wide range of conditions, from benign lesions to breast cancer. The focus is not only on removing disease, but also on preserving breast structure, function, and overall well-being.
Surgical care is integrated within a dedicated breast care team. Imaging, diagnosis, and surgical planning are closely coordinated to ensure that each decision is appropriate and well-informed.
Whenever possible, techniques are selected to minimize impact and support both medical and aesthetic outcomes.
You are guided through the process — from understanding the indication for surgery to knowing what to expect before and after the procedure.
A surgical breast biopsy (or open biopsy) is performed to remove all or part of a suspicious breast abnormality for laboratory analysis. It is typically reserved for cases where needle biopsies are inconclusive, high-risk lesions are found, or an entire lesion must be completely removed.
The tissue removed during a surgical biopsy is studied under a microscope to see if breast cancer is present. If breast cancer is found, other tests are done on the tissue to help plan your treatment.
Most surgical biopsies are excisional biopsies. With an excisional biopsy, the whole abnormal area (plus some of the surrounding normal tissue) is removed.
Surgery is the primary treatment for breast cancer and usually involves removing the tumour along with some or all axillary lymph nodes. In certain higher-risk or advanced cases, chemotherapy may be given first (neoadjuvant) to shrink the tumour before surgery.
Surgical options include lumpectomy (wide local excision), which removes the tumour with a margin of normal tissue while preserving the breast, and mastectomy, which removes the entire breast.
Mastectomy techniques vary: simple mastectomy removes all breast tissue and the nipple, while skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomies preserve more skin or the nipple to allow for better cosmetic reconstruction. Nipple-sparing mastectomy offers the best aesthetic outcome but carries a small risk of nipple loss and usually results in numbness of the preserved skin.
There are 2 types of axillary surgery: sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary clearance.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure used to check for the spread of breast cancer to the lymph nodes, typically performed alongside lumpectomy or mastectomy. A radioactive dye is injected before surgery to trace lymphatic drainage, followed by a blue dye during surgery to locate the sentinel nodes, which are then removed (usually 1–4 nodes) for analysis. This approach has fewer side effects compared to full lymph node removal, with a lower risk of complications like lymphoedema or limited shoulder movement.
Axillary clearance involves removing most or all lymph nodes under the arm, usually when cancer is found in multiple nodes. It carries a higher risk of numbness, arm swelling, and reduced mobility, so physiotherapy and infection prevention are important. A surgical drain is typically used for fluid collection and may remain in place for several days to weeks.
Breast reconstruction is an option for nearly all women undergoing mastectomy and can significantly improve body image, self-esteem, and emotional recovery. It may be performed immediately during mastectomy or delayed to a later stage, with no impact on cancer prognosis or recurrence detection.
Reconstruction options include implant-based, tissue flap-based, or a combination, and the choice depends on factors like body type, breast size, personal preference, and overall health.
Implant reconstruction, either direct-to-implant or two-stage with tissue expanders, is simpler but may require future surgeries and carries risks like infection or implant loss.
Flap reconstructions use the patient’s own tissue and are often preferred after radiotherapy, though they involve longer surgery and recovery, plus donor site scars.
