Breast Cancer Surgery (Mastectomy)
Surgical removal of one or both breasts to treat breast cancer, with options for skin- or nipple-sparing techniques and immediate or delayed reconstruction.
Overview
Hospital & stay
Procedure details
How it's performed
Under general anaesthesia, the surgeon makes a horizontal elliptical incision across the chest from under the arm towards the breastbone (or a smaller incision for skin-/nipple-sparing approaches). The breast tissue is dissected off the underlying pectoralis major fascia and removed en bloc. A sentinel node biopsy or axillary clearance is performed through a separate axillary incision or the same incision. One or more closed-suction drains are placed before the skin is closed. If immediate reconstruction is planned, the plastic surgical team then proceeds with implant or autologous flap insertion.
Preparation
- 1Confirm diagnosis with image-guided core biopsy, breast MRI/staging imaging and multidisciplinary team plan.
- 2Pre-operative bloods, ECG, anaesthetic review and discussion of reconstruction options.
- 3Stop smoking 6-8 weeks before to optimise flap and wound healing.
- 4Mark sentinel node with radioisotope or dye on the day of surgery.
- 5Arrange post-discharge support, drain management training and post-mastectomy bra/prosthesis fitting.
Recovery
- 1Day 0-1: Hospital stay overnight with closed-suction drains; intravenous analgesia and shoulder exercises begin.
- 2Days 1-7: Discharge with drains; daily wound and drain monitoring at home or in clinic.
- 3Days 7-14: Drain removal once output is low; wound check by breast care nurse.
- 4Weeks 2-3: Return to most usual activities; continue gentle shoulder rehabilitation.
- 5Weeks 4-6: Full wound healing; oncology team reviews need for adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy or endocrine therapy.
- 6Months 3-12: Surveillance imaging, lymphoedema monitoring and any planned delayed reconstruction.
Before you travel: what the CDC recommends
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes guidance for Americans travelling abroad for medical care. These are its recommendations, not ours.
- Check the qualifications of the clinician who will perform the procedure and the credentials of the facility.
- Bring copies of your medical records, including lab and other test results related to your condition.
- Make sure you can get follow-up care in the United States. Care for complications can be expensive and might not be covered by your health insurance.
- Obtain international travel health insurance that covers medical evacuation back to the United States.
- Plan for the possibility of paying out of pocket for additional or emergency care.
- See your own healthcare provider 4–6 weeks before the trip to discuss risks specific to your health.
- Delay air travel for 10–14 days after major surgery, particularly chest surgery, to reduce risks from changes in cabin pressure.
Breast Cancer Surgery (Mastectomy) abroad: frequently asked questions
How much does breast cancer surgery cost in the U.S.?
Typically $15,000 to $55,000, according to CostHelper.
How long do I need to stay abroad for breast cancer surgery?
Plan on about 10 days, from arrival to the flight home. Your surgeon will confirm when it is safe to travel.
Will U.S. insurance pay for breast cancer surgery abroad?
Most U.S. health plans do not pay for elective surgery abroad, and cosmetic procedures are not covered at all. The CDC also warns that care for complications after surgery abroad may not be covered, so check your plan before you book.
Related procedures
Related procedures
Evidence Guiding Breast Cancer Surgery and Mastectomy
12 peer-reviewed sourcesSurgical management of breast cancer has evolved through decades of randomized trials and large cohort studies toward more individualized, often less extensive, operations. The references below include long-term randomized data, systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing mastectomy with breast-conserving surgery, and high-quality evidence on de-escalation of axillary surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy. They show that, for appropriately selected patients, breast conservation can offer survival comparable to mastectomy, and that omitting extensive axillary dissection is safe in many node-negative and selected node-positive settings. Because the right operation depends on tumor biology, stage, genetics, and personal preference, these sources are intended to support shared decision-making with a multidisciplinary breast cancer team rather than to recommend any single approach.
- Survival after breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy versus mastectomy: propensity score analyses within a randomized anaesthesiology trial.
- Twenty-year results of the randomized EORTC trial 22922/10925 evaluating internal mammary chain and medial supraclavicular lymph node irradiation in stage I-III breast cancer.
- Surgical Outcomes After Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Results from the Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 KEYNOTE-522 Study.
- Oncologic safety of breast-conserving surgery in node-positive breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Omission of axillary surgery in early breast cancer with negative lymph nodes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
Compiled from peer-reviewed medical literature indexed on PubMed. This overview is for general education and is not medical advice. · Last updated 2026-06-15