Decision guide
Mastectomy
Mastectomy can be performed with or without breast reconstruction.
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How surgery works and how approaches differ
Mastectomy can be performed with or without breast reconstruction. Reconstruction rebuilds the breast using an implant, tissue transferred from another part of the body, or a combination of both. Implant reconstruction may be completed in one operation or in stages, with an adjustable tissue expander used before the final implant.
For people with breast cancer that has not spread to distant parts of the body, reconstruction can be considered at the time of mastectomy or later. The choice depends on personal preferences, other health conditions, blood supply to the skin, the type of mastectomy and the desired breast size. A nipple-sparing approach preserves the nipple and surrounding darker skin. It is an option for suitable candidates for skin-sparing surgery when examination, imaging and tissue assessment show no involvement of this area, and the procedure is technically feasible with acceptable cosmetic results.
When surgery may help and what alternatives to discuss
Mastectomy is used to treat breast cancer and can also be considered to reduce the chance of developing breast cancer in women at high risk. Surgery for an existing cancer and preventive surgery on the other breast are different decisions.
For women with cancer in one breast and no family history or genetic predisposition, preventive removal of the other breast is generally not recommended: it has not shown a survival benefit in this group and adds surgical risks. The decision is different for women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation that increases cancer risk, or previous mantle-field radiotherapy, a form of radiation treatment covering the chest and nearby areas. Preventive surgery on the other breast may be considered in these higher-risk settings.
Reconstruction is a separate choice rather than a requirement of mastectomy. Having no reconstruction, having it immediately, or having it later are options; the timing and technique need to fit both the cancer treatment and the person’s preferences.
Sources (4)
- ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Imaging After Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction.
- Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy in women with breast cancer without a family history or genetic predisposition : Consensus statement from the Austrian Gynecologic Oncology Working Group of the Austrian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
- Indications for Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy: A Consensus Statement Using Modified Delphi Methodology.
- Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) Clinical Practice Guideline.
Expected outcomes and limits of the evidence
Immediate breast reconstruction may offer psychological or quality-of-life benefits compared with waiting until later. This is a possible benefit, not a guaranteed result.
For preventive removal of the opposite breast, a review of 27 retrospective studies included 5,728 patients. An unsuspected invasive cancer was found in 87 patients at the time of surgery; the pooled estimate across studies was 1.55%. This describes cancer discovered during preventive surgery, not the chance of cancer returning or survival after treatment. The findings support avoiding routine sentinel lymph node surgery—sampling the first lymph nodes that drain the breast—during preventive removal of the opposite breast.
Risks to discuss with your surgeon
When mastectomy is combined with reconstruction, preserving blood supply to the remaining skin and nipple is important. Poor blood supply can cause tissue death, and the position of the incision also matters for reducing nerve damage. Some implant reconstructions use an acellular dermal matrix, a tissue support material; careful selection and handling help reduce infection and fluid collections around the reconstruction. This material is not recommended when the remaining skin has inadequate blood supply for an implant above the chest muscle.
For women having immediate reconstruction with their own tissue, radiotherapy afterward has been associated with a higher risk of fat necrosis, where some of the transferred fat tissue dies. This finding is specific to that reconstruction setting, not a complication estimate for every mastectomy. Later treatment may include transfer of the person’s own fat to improve contour irregularities, visible implant rippling or tissue quality after radiotherapy.
Sources (2)
- Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) Clinical Practice Guideline.
- Postmastectomy radiation therapy for autologous breast reconstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the 2022 Japanese Breast Cancer Society Clinical Practice Guideline.
Recovery and follow-up care
Mastectomy does not always complete breast cancer treatment. Radiotherapy afterward is recommended for most patients whose cancer has reached the lymph nodes and for selected patients without lymph node involvement. After cancer drug treatment before surgery, it is also recommended for patients who initially had locally advanced disease or still have cancer in the lymph nodes at surgery. When given, it generally treats the chest wall or reconstructed breast and nearby lymph node areas on the same side.
Reconstruction can also involve planned later procedures. With a staged implant approach, a tissue expander gradually stretches the tissues before the final implant is placed.
Explore surgery and care teams
Specialists and their operations
Turkey · 6 entries
| Specialist | Clinic | Operations and experience | Ask about treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
 Haluk Duman | Anadolu Medical Center Istanbul, Turkey | Mastectomy; Lumpectomy In practice since 1995 | Ask about treatment |
 Kemal Rasa | Anadolu Medical Center Istanbul, Turkey | Mastectomy; Thyroid resection; Breast cancer surgery; Pancreatic cancer surgery In practice since 1997 | Ask about treatment |
 Murat Atay | Istanbul Florence Nightingale Hospital Istanbul, Turkey | Mastectomy; Breast cancer surgery; Lumpectomy In practice since 1993 | Ask about treatment |
 Mehmet Saydam | Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital Istanbul, Turkey | Mastectomy; Breast cancer surgery; Rectal resection In practice since 2001 | Ask about treatment |
 Mustafa Ozdogan | Memorial Göztepe Hospital Istanbul, Turkey | Mastectomy; Breast cancer surgery; Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) In practice since 2012 | Ask about treatment |
 Mert Tanal | Memorial Şişli Hospital Istanbul, Turkey | Mastectomy In practice since 2021 | Ask about treatment |
Germany · 1 entries
| Specialist | Clinic | Operations and experience | Ask about treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
 Manuela Seifert | Medical Center in Solingen Solingen, Germany | Mastectomy; Removal of colon cancer; Breast cancer surgery; Lumpectomy In practice since 2000 | Ask about treatment |
Austria · 1 entries
| Specialist | Clinic | Operations and experience | Ask about treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
 Florian Fitzal | Wiener Privatklinik (WPK) Vienna, Austria | Mastectomy; Lumpectomy In practice since 2006 | Ask about treatment |
Azerbaijan · 1 entries
| Specialist | Clinic | Operations and experience | Ask about treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
 Rana Niftaliyeva | Biological Medicine – Integrative Health Center Baku Baku, Azerbaijan | Mastectomy In practice since 1999 | Ask about treatment |
Mexico · 1 entries
| Specialist | Clinic | Operations and experience | Ask about treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
 Enrique Pliego Esquivel | Dr. Enrique Pliego Private Practice Cancún, Mexico | Mastectomy; Small intestine resection; Gastroectomy In practice since 2016 | Ask about treatment |
Israel · 1 entries
| Specialist | Clinic | Operations and experience | Ask about treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
 Dov Zippel | Sheba Medical Center Ramat Gan, Israel | Mastectomy; Lumpectomy In practice since 2001 | Ask about treatment |
Poland · 3 entries
| Specialist | Clinic | Operations and experience | Ask about treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
 Piotr Ciszewski | WILMED Medical Clinic Warsaw, Poland | Mastectomy; Melanoma surgery; Breast cancer surgery; Lumpectomy In practice since 1992 | Ask about treatment |
 Aleksandra Starosciak | WILMED Medical Clinic Warsaw, Poland | Mastectomy; Breast cancer surgery; Lumpectomy In practice since 2002 | Ask about treatment |
 Dariusz Michalik | WILMED Medical Clinic Warsaw, Poland | Mastectomy; Breast cancer surgery; Lumpectomy In practice since 1990 | Ask about treatment |
Programmes and prices
Medical Center in Solingen · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer Surgery & Diagnosis at German Cancer Society-Certified Center | Medical Center in Solingen | USD 14564Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesBreast Cancer Surgery & Diagnosis at German Cancer Society-Certified Center Included: Complex diagnosis of breast cancer Included: Mastectomy Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Additional activities not included |
Ask about treatment |
Centro Médico Teknon · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mastectomy, Teknon Oncology Institute, cosultation with Dr.Barnadas | Centro Médico Teknon | USD 19063.43Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesMastectomy, Teknon Oncology Institute, cosultation with Dr.Barnadas Included: Mastectomy Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Additional activities not included |
Ask about treatment |
VM Medical Park Florya Hospital · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mastectomy | VM Medical Park Florya Hospital | USD 1550Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesMastectomy Included: PET/CT Included: MRI of one area Included: Histopathology revision Included: Mastectomy Included: Transfer airport-hotel-clinic-airport Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Hotel Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included |
Ask about treatment |
Dr. Enrique Pliego Private Practice · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prophylactic mastectomy. | Dr. Enrique Pliego Private Practice | USD 5300Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesProphylactic mastectomy. Included: Mastectomy Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Hotel Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Excluded: Transfer is not included Stay: 1 days in the hospital Stay: 3 days in the hotel |
Ask about treatment |
Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital · 2 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mastectomy | Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital | USD 7288.96Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesMastectomy Included: Extended analysis of blood Included: Consultation with an anesthesiologist Included: Plastic Surgery Consultation Included: Mastectomy Included: 5* Hotel Included: VIP transfer (premium vehicle service, all transfers between airport, hotel and clinic) Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Additional activities not included Stay: 2 days in the hospital Stay: 8 days in the hotel |
Ask about treatment |
| Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy | Memorial Bahçelievler Hospital | USD 10300Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesSkin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Included: Mastectomy Included: Transfer airport-hotel-clinic-airport Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Hotel Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Stay: 2 days in the hospital |
Ask about treatment |
Ponderas Academic Hospital · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unilateral subcutaneous mastectomy with reconstruction with implant and latissimus dorsi flap | Ponderas Academic Hospital | USD 17493.5Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesUnilateral subcutaneous mastectomy with reconstruction with implant and latissimus dorsi flap Included: Mastectomy Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Hotel Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Excluded: Transfer is not included Stay: 3 days in the hospital |
Ask about treatment |
Sheba Medical Center · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BREAST CANCER- Assessment and Mastectomy at Sheba Medical Center | Sheba Medical Center | USD 13000Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesBREAST CANCER- Assessment and Mastectomy at Sheba Medical Center Included: Ultrasound Included: Consultation with an oncologist Included: Mammography Included: Consultation with a surgeon Included: Breast ultrasound Included: Histopathology revision Included: PET/CT in breast cancer Included: Mastectomy Included: Lumpectomy Included: Post-operative care Included: Electrocardiogram (ECG) Included: Preoperative tests Included: Blood tests Included: Post-op medications Included: Consultation with an anesthesiologist Included: Complete blood count (CBC) Included: Consultation with a mammologist Included: Hospitalization Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Hotel Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Transfer is not included Stay: 1 days in the hospital Stay: 7 days in the hotel |
Ask about treatment |
Memorial Göztepe Hospital · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy | Memorial Göztepe Hospital | USD 10300Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesSkin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Included: Mastectomy Included: Transfer airport-hotel-clinic-airport Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Hotel Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Stay: 2 days in the hospital |
Ask about treatment |
Memorial Şişli Hospital · 2 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy | Memorial Şişli Hospital | USD 10300Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesSkin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Included: Mastectomy Included: Transfer airport-hotel-clinic-airport Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Hotel Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Stay: 2 days in the hospital |
Ask about treatment |
| Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy | Memorial Şişli Hospital | USD 10300Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesSkin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Included: Mastectomy Included: 5* Hotel Included: VIP transfer (premium vehicle service, all transfers between airport, hotel and clinic) Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Additional activities not included |
Ask about treatment |
Memorial Ataşehir Hospital · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy | Memorial Ataşehir Hospital | USD 10300Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesSkin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy Included: Mastectomy Included: Transfer airport-hotel-clinic-airport Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Hotel Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Stay: 2 days in the hospital |
Ask about treatment |
Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mastectomy | Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital | USD 6728.27Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesMastectomy Included: Mastectomy Included: 4* Hotel Included: VIP transfer (premium vehicle service, all transfers between airport, hotel and clinic) Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Additional activities not included Stay: 3 days in the hospital Stay: 3 days in the hotel |
Ask about treatment |
Hospital de la Familia · 1 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masectomy | Hospital de la Familia | USD 5250Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesMasectomy Included: Mastectomy Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Excluded: Transfer is not included Stay: 1 days in the hospital Stay: 5 days in the hotel |
Ask about treatment |
WILMED Medical Clinic · 2 entries
| Public programme | Clinic | Recorded price | Programme details | Request a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual mastectomy treatment program | WILMED Medical Clinic | USD 6167.58Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesIndividual mastectomy treatment program Included: Mastectomy Included: Breast reconstruction surgery Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Excluded: Transfer is not included Stay: 1 days in the hospital Stay: 7 days in the hotel |
Ask about treatment |
| Individual mastectomy treatment program | WILMED Medical Clinic | USD 7060.2Bookimed offer, Oct 2026 |
What the programme includesIndividual mastectomy treatment program Included: Mastectomy Included: Breast reconstruction surgery Excluded: Airfare Excluded: Additional activities not included Excluded: Accommodation is not included Excluded: Transfer is not included Stay: 1 days in the hospital Stay: 7 days in the hotel |
Ask about treatment |
Sources (16)
- Breast Cancer Surgery & Diagnosis at German Cancer Society-Certified Center
- Mastectomy, Teknon Oncology Institute, cosultation with Dr.Barnadas
- Mastectomy
- Prophylactic mastectomy.
- Mastectomy
- Unilateral subcutaneous mastectomy with reconstruction with implant and latissimus dorsi flap
- BREAST CANCER- Assessment and Mastectomy at Sheba Medical Center
- Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
- Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
- Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
- Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
- Skin / Areola / Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
- Mastectomy
- Masectomy
- Individual mastectomy treatment program
- Individual mastectomy treatment program
Research and sources
Sources (18)
- Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) Clinical Practice Guideline.
- Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy: An ASTRO-ASCO-SSO Clinical Practice Guideline.
- Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy: An ASTRO/ASCO/SSO Clinical Practice Guideline.
- ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Imaging After Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction.
- ESTRO ACROP consensus guideline for target volume delineation in the setting of postmastectomy radiation therapy after implant-based immediate reconstruction for early stage breast cancer.
- Postmastectomy Radiotherapy: An American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society for Radiation Oncology, and Society of Surgical Oncology Focused Guideline Update.
- Postmastectomy Radiotherapy: An American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society for Radiation Oncology, and Society of Surgical Oncology Focused Guideline Update.
- A Delphi study and International Consensus Recommendations: The use of bolus in the setting of postmastectomy radiation therapy for early breast cancer.
- Consensus Statement on Robotic Mastectomy-Expert Panel From International Endoscopic and Robotic Breast Surgery Symposium (IERBS) 2019.
- Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy in women with breast cancer without a family history or genetic predisposition : Consensus statement from the Austrian Gynecologic Oncology Working Group of the Austrian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
- Indications for Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy: A Consensus Statement Using Modified Delphi Methodology.
- The development of a template for psychological assessment of women considering risk-reducing or contralateral prophylactic mastectomy: A national Delphi consensus study.
- Oncoplastic Breast Consortium consensus conference on nipple-sparing mastectomy.
- A Systematic Review of Occult Malignancy and Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis at the Time of Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy.
- Postmastectomy radiation therapy for autologous breast reconstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the 2022 Japanese Breast Cancer Society Clinical Practice Guideline.
- Nipple-Preserving Skin-Reducing Mastectomy in Ptotic Breasts: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
- Risk-Reducing Bilateral Mastectomy and Mortality in Carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Variants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Does bilateral mastectomy affect clinical outcomes in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers with primary breast cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
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