What should you know about reconstruction after lumpectomy?

Lumpectomy removes the tumour and a margin while leaving much of the breast. If the removed area is small, the breast may settle with little visible change. A larger gap, a position near the nipple, or changes caused by healing can create an indentation or asymmetry. Oncoplastic reshaping uses nearby breast tissue; another option may be balancing the opposite breast. Reconstruction is planned around cancer control, breast size and shape, skin quality, and whether [Radiotherapy](/treatments/radiation-oncology/radiotherapy/) is needed.

A [Mastectomy](/treatments/surgical-oncology/mastectomy/) is a different operation that removes the whole breast and may involve another reconstruction pathway. Lumpectomy remains part of breast cancer treatment for selected patients.

Ask the breast and reconstructive surgical teams to explain the expected shape, scars, sensation and possible need for more than one procedure. Bring questions about timing, drains, wound care, activity and bra support. Tell the team about previous breast surgery, smoking, medicines and any planned radiotherapy. Looking at your own healed outcome can be difficult to predict from photographs because healing varies.

After surgery, contact your team promptly for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, wound leakage, fever, worsening pain, or a breast that becomes suddenly tense. Seek urgent help for breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or heavy bleeding. A new shape difference during early healing does not by itself show the final result, but a sudden change should be checked.

Ask whether reshaping can be done during lumpectomy or later, how radiotherapy may affect the result, and what alternatives exist if symmetry remains difficult. Ask whether a procedure on the other breast is being considered and how it changes recovery.