With the improvement of living standard, the majority of female friends pay more attention to the aesthetic appearance while treating breast diseases. As we know, the most common breast tumor is fibroadenoma, which accounts for about 75% of all breast tumors. These tumors cannot be cured by medication or physical therapy, but can only be removed surgically. In the past, the traditional surgical method generally took the approach of making incisions on the surface of the lump, removing the tumor and then stitching up the wound. Relatively speaking, the traditional surgical method is less technical and the scar left after surgery is more obvious; however, the hemostasis is complete and the cost is less.
Minimally invasive rotary mastectomy technique, which has emerged in recent years, provides another very good alternative. This procedure is popular with patients because of its small scar, precise excision location, and minimal trauma. Minimally invasive rotary mastectomy has its disadvantages, such as being more expensive, technically demanding, requiring postoperative pressure to stop bleeding, and leaving residuals when removing too large a mass. Therefore, it is very important to choose a surgical procedure that does not leave unsightly scarring for life, nor does it cost money and not cure the disease.
Rotary cutter host
Installed rotary cutter
Generally speaking, breast lumps of about 1cm in diameter are most suitable for minimally invasive surgery, especially those that can be detected by ultrasound and cannot be palpated; multiple lumps are also good candidates for minimally invasive surgery, otherwise repeated incisions on the skin surface will greatly damage the appearance of the breast; patients with scarring are also suitable for minimally invasive surgery, as the scar will be as small as possible.
So what conditions are not recommended for minimally invasive surgery?
Lumps that are relatively large, such as those with a maximum diameter of more than 2cm; lumps that are located behind the nipple or too close to the nipple are not good candidates for minimally invasive surgery.
Here I will briefly introduce the procedure of minimally invasive surgery and the precautions to facilitate patients’ choice
Step 1
The patient will be seen in the clinic. As a reminder, please bring your previous examination reports, including ultrasound, mammogram, and MRI of both breasts. Of course, patients younger than 40 years old can sometimes have just a double breast ultrasound. After the doctor’s examination, he/she will make an appointment with you and issue an appointment sheet if he/she determines that surgery is needed. The timing of the procedure is to avoid your menstrual period. If you are too busy to come to the clinic in person, you can also take pictures of your test results and send them to me via the WeChat platform, and I will communicate with you over the Internet to schedule your surgery.
Step 2
Before the surgery, buy a pack of band-aids and an elastic chest band, which are available in the store in front of the hospital. On the morning of the surgery, bring your ID card, medical insurance card, cash or bank card to the doctor’s office in the “day ward” to receive your hospitalization card and check in. In our hospital, this type of surgery is currently admitted to the “day ward”. You will be admitted in the morning, observed for a few hours after the surgery, and then discharged in the afternoon.
Step 3
Change the gown, take medical history, sign the consent form for surgery, and wait for the surgery.
Step 4
Surgical procedure
I. Lie flat on the surgical bed, ultrasound examines the breast, determines the surgical site, and makes marks.
Second, the doctor disinfects the skin of the surgical area.
III. Lay the surgical towel and isolate the bacteria.
IV. Local anesthetic is injected.
V. Make a small incision of 3-5mm in a hidden area.
VI. The minimally invasive rotary cutter is placed into the small incision all the way to the back of the lump.
vii. The minimally invasive rotary cutter is activated under ultrasound observation and a strip is cut out of the mass. Repeat this process to remove the lump cleanly.
VIII. A band-aid is applied and an elastic chest band is wrapped and you are done.
Here is a look at the post-operative incision
Postoperative wound at that time
The wound 1 week after surgery