A mastectomy removes breast tissue as part of cancer treatment or risk reduction. Double mastectomy and bilateral mastectomy both refer to removal of tissue from both breasts; double breast removal is a non-medical search phrase for the same broad concept. These are oncologic procedures performed by the appropriate breast-cancer team. Reconstructive planning may begin at the same operation or later, depending on treatment and patient factors.
Prophylactic Mastectomy and Risk Reduction
A prophylactic mastectomy, also called risk-reducing mastectomy, may be considered for selected people at very high inherited or familial risk. It does not eliminate every possibility of future breast cancer. The decision requires specialist genetic and breast-oncology counselling; reconstruction choices are considered only after the risk-management plan is established.
Radical Mastectomy and Modified Radical Mastectomy
Radical mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy are not interchangeable. Modified radical mastectomy removes the breast and axillary lymph nodes. A radical mastectomy also removes chest-wall muscles and is now rarely used, generally only when disease involves those muscles. The oncology team determines the cancer operation and whether immediate reconstruction is appropriate.
What Does Subcutaneous Mastectomy Mean?
The term subcutaneous mastectomy has been used inconsistently, often for an operation intended to preserve some or all of the skin and nipple–areola envelope. Current planning should use the specific operative term—such as skin-sparing or nipple-sparing mastectomy—and confirm exactly which tissues will be removed or retained.
A lumpectomy procedure removes a breast tumour with a margin of surrounding tissue while preserving much of the breast. Breast cancer lumpectomy and lumpectomy surgery are oncology treatments, not cosmetic procedures. Lumpectomi is a common misspelling of lumpectomy, not a different operation. Plastic-surgery involvement may include oncoplastic reshaping or delayed correction when tissue removal creates asymmetry or contour change.
An external breast prosthesis, also called a breast form, is worn in a bra or garment and does not require reconstructive surgery. Breastforms is a common joined spelling used in product searches. An Amoena breast prosthesis is a brand-specific search; brand choice is separate from medical assessment and no product is endorsed here.
An internal reconstruction implant is surgically placed beneath the remaining skin or chest muscle, sometimes after tissue expansion. Although people may search for a mastectomy implant, the implant reconstructs breast shape after mastectomy; it is not part of the cancer-removal procedure itself. Autologous reconstruction instead uses tissue from the patient's own body. Choice depends on the oncology plan, chest tissues, radiotherapy, donor sites, health, and goals.
Breast reconstruction after mastectomy may be immediate or delayed. Double mastectomy reconstruction can restore both breast mounds with implants, autologous tissue, or a combined plan, but symmetry, scars, sensation, and the number of stages vary. Reconstruction does not replace necessary cancer treatment or surveillance.
| Timing | Clinical note |
|---|
| Immediate | Begun at the time of mastectomy when oncology and anatomy allow |
| Delayed | Performed after healing, adjuvant therapy, or when readiness is deferred |
- Implant-based — tissue expansion and/or implant reconstruction
- Autologous flaps — patient’s own tissue (e.g., abdominal or back donor sites when indicated)
- Combined approaches — selected when volume and soft-tissue coverage both require planning
Technique selection depends on oncology pathway, body habitus, and goals reviewed with Dr. Bouraoui Kotti.
A DIEP flap procedure uses lower-abdominal skin and fat while preserving the rectus muscle. It is a microsurgical form of autologous reconstruction and is not interchangeable with every abdominal or back flap; candidacy, specialist-team availability, donor-site anatomy and oncologic timing require individual assessment.
Risks depend on technique and may include infection, flap or implant complications, asymmetry, and delayed healing. Surgical procedures carry risks. Results vary per individual. A consultation is required.
