New Treatments

Donut Mastopexy

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance offers new surgical alternatives to traditional mastectomy that give better cosmetic results. One of these procedures, the donut mastopexy, is not often performed for breast cancer in the United States, but is offered by SCCA surgeons under the direction of Dr. Benjamin Anderson.

The donut mastopexy is a type of lumpectomy. The procedure allows surgeons to remove an entire segment of the breast through an incision at the edge of the areola. The final scar circles the areola and is virtually hidden.

The term "donut" refers to the way the procedure is done. A circular incision is made around the areola, and the surgeon then separates breast tissue from both the overlying skin and the underlying chest muscles. The cancerous segment of breast tissue is removed, and the surgeon shifts the remaining healthy breast tissue on the chest wall to remold the breast inside the skin.

The ring of skin around the nipple is pulled together with a purse-string suture and tightened up like a drawstring, leaving a circular scar that is hidden around the nipple.

SCCA physicians have performed this new procedure on more than 40 women thus far, with cosmetically excellent results. The operation causes some degree of lifting of the breast, which some women find they like better than the appearance of their breast before surgery. If necessary, you can have a breast reduction on the other side to restore symmetry.

The surgery is considered a good alternative to a mastectomy or traditional lumpectomy for some women. Ask your surgeon if this procedure is right for you.

 

For more information about new treatments:

• Hormonal therapy
• New ways of giving chemotherapy: dose density
• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
• Herceptin

August 2007