Mastectomy
Bilateral subcutaneous mastectomy is a surgical treatment for the complete removal of the two breasts. In such operations, breast tissues are taken, and in some cases, tissues close to the breast can be removed. Mastectomy operations can be performed with different methods. Surgical interventions that vary according to the application area include simple mastectomy, skin-protective mastectomy, radical mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy. Simple mastectomy, also called total mastectomy, involves the removal of the entire breast including the nipples, while the muscle tissues and armpit lymph glands under the breast are not removed. Such surgeries usually require hospitalization for one day. It is the most commonly used mastectomy method for breast cancer patients. In a skin-protective mastectomy, most of the skin layers on the breast and the nipple are not touched. In such interventions, it is possible to restructure the breasts of some patients. The amount of tissue taken from the breast is the same as the amount of tissue taken in simple mastectomy operations. This method is not performed in the presence of a large and/or a tumor close to the skin surface. Radical mastectomy is is mostly used to remove tumors settled in the pectoral muscles at the bottom of the breast. In these very large-scale operations, the entire breast, armpit lymph glands and pectoral muscles are extracted. In modified radical mastectomy procedures for the removal of underarm lymph nodes, breast disfigurement and complications observed in conventional radical mastectomy are not encountered. The decision on the technique to be used relies on the size of the breast tissue and amount of excess skin.
Transgender men prefer to have a mastectomy as their first major surgery they may have distress about the social acceptance of their gender identity. Before surgery, hormone therapy must be started to get the ideal outcome out of surgeries. Testosterone helps the patient’s chest become much more masculine. Hormone therapy has to be stopped 1 month before the surgery. If the patient is taking aspirin, they should stop taking it 1 week before the surgery. Smokers have to quit smoking 1 month before the surgery. The surgery is performed after a 6-hour period of fasting and not drinking fluids. This surgery is irreversible, and the patient has to be sure about their decision before the surgery.
Mastectomy is applied in the removal of cancer-causing tumors forming in the breast area, in the removal of lymph nodes in patients with metastasis and in gender reassignment processes.
Thanks to the opportunities provided by modern medicine, aesthetic losses that may occur after surgery are resolved with plastic and aesthetic surgical methods. If deemed appropriate by the physician, skin-protective mastectomy can be performed, and most of the skin layers on the breast and the nipple can be preserved. Thus, it is possible to reshape the breast.
Although it is sufficient to stay in the hospital for 1 day after simple mastectomy operations, the duration of stay is determined by the physician performing the surgery.