Expert Breast Cancer Surgery

Most people with breast cancer will benefit from surgery.

It’s natural to feel nervous and uncertain -- especially about the possibility of losing one or both breasts. Our surgical team has decades of experience in cancer surgery, breast conservation techniques, and breast reconstruction. We perform breast cancer surgery in a surgical suite dedicated to breast cancer patients. Here, breast cancer is our entire focus, and familiar health care providers will be by your side.

Henry Ford breast cancer surgery suite

Our operating rooms have featured Faxitron technology since 2014. This Bluetooth-connected X-ray machine allows surgeons to X-ray a specimen in the operating room while the procedure is underway. A radiologist can immediately review it and confirm we have removed as much of the cancer as possible before the procedure is over. This improves accuracy and means your surgery may be shorter.

Types of breast cancer surgery

The type of breast cancer surgery that is right for you will depend on your unique needs and goals. You have a wide array of techniques, approaches and technologies available to you.

• Breast biopsy: Procedure to remove suspicious growth and examine the tissue for the presence of cancer. If a doctor makes a breast cancer diagnosis based on the results of the biopsy, you may require additional surgery.
• Sentinel node biopsy: Procedure to remove only the first, or sentinel, lymph nodes under the arm. This minimizes the invasiveness of the surgical procedure but results in equally good cure rates.
• Lumpectomy: Breast-conserving surgery to remove cancerous tissue while leaving the rest of the breast intact.
• Lymph node bypass surgery: A procedure to transplant lymph nodes to the breast area to fight fluid retention.
• Full mastectomy: Surgical removal of one or both breasts to treat cancer or as a preventive measure if you have learned through genetic testing that you are at high risk for breast cancer.
• Partial mastectomy: Removal of some of the breast. This is also known as segmental mastectomy.
• Nipple-sparing mastectomy: Surgical removal of breast tissue but leaves the nipple and areola intact. The breast's appearance -- and potentially nerve function -- remains more natural after surgery.
• Skin-sparing mastectomy: Surgical procedure that minimizes the amount of breast skin we remove to preserve the natural appearance of the breast.
• Breast reconstruction: Our surgeons are skilled in complex procedures to restore the natural shape and appearance of your breast after a lumpectomy or mastectomy.
• Oncoplastic surgery: This combines breast cancer surgery and breast reconstruction. It allows the surgeon to reshape the breast tissue at the time of the lumpectomy or mastectomy to achieve the best possible cosmetic result. Our breast surgeons are experienced in this procedure, although they can draw on the services of our plastic surgeons as well.