Oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery

The polyclinic’s surgical team has a long experience in treating benign and malign breast tumors, including all the oncological and plastic-reconstructive surgical procedures.

Smaller benign formations are removed under local or brief general anesthesia, and the patients can mostly go home that same day. If necessary, or if the formation is very small, it can be marked with a guidewire.

In cases of malign breast tumors, it is possible to perform a breast-sparing or a radical surgery, depending on the patient’s individual condition.

In breast-sparing surgery, part of a breast and the first lymph nodes in the armpit (sentinel lymph nodes - SLN) are removed. The defect after removing the breast tissue is filled with a remodeling, so-called, oncoplastic surgery that gives the breast a natural shape without any defects and "wrinkling". It is in procedures such as this one where the surgeon’s and their team’s experience is crucial to achieving a satisfactory esthetic effect together with the radicality of the procedure.

In a radical surgery, a whole breast is removed, with or without sparing the skin and a nipple. The reconstruction can be performed either during the oncological procedure or at a later point, after the adjuvant oncological treatment. The reconstruction can be performed with an implant or the patient’s own tissue, in one or two acts. The reconstructive process is adjusted to the further oncological treatment and the patient’s wishes. Reconstruction of bigger breasts usually requires two procedures: in the first procedure, a tissue expander is used that is gradually filled with liquid. After a satisfactory volume has been achieved, the second surgery is performed where the expander is replaced with a permanent implant. When it is necessary, a surgical nipple reconstruction can be performed, and the final esthetic result can be improved with a 3D tattoo. Depending on the anatomy, a correction of the other breast can also be performed to achieve symmetry (augmentation, reduction, or lifting).

Sentinel lymph node biopsy - SLNB - can be either sparing or radical. Depending on the case, the polyclinic enables sentinel lymph node mapping by blue dye and radioactive (technetium) or magnetic contrast agent (Magtrace). In a radical surgery (axilla dissection), a big number of lymph nodes under the armpit are removed. Depending on the individual case, one, two, or all three anatomic levels of axillary lymph nodes are removed.