Anyone have ONE incision for lumpectomy & sentinel node biopsy?

I had a bi-lateral
I had a bi-lateral mastectomy with sentinel node removal and I still have individual scars on each side where they removed the node. So I am not sure how this process can be done with just one incision. You would have though my chest opening was big enough to remove the node. Plus the fact that there is still so much breast tissue in the way with just a lumpectomy. Sounds impossible to me, but hey what do I know I'm still learning new stuff from you gals.

Lorrie

mamolady said:

one incision
Traci,
You have to remember, the skin stretches. Have you seen how small the scar is for a c-section? Especially if the lump is closer to the armpit. They are probably thinking of limiting the damage to the breast.

Cindy

I've had many lumpectomies
I've had many lumpectomies and in the same area(behind/or close to the nipple). I had 6 benign 1 malignant and one cyst(aspirated) Still my breast surgeon got all tumors in the same incision area as the others.I see NO scarring in that area but a indentation where the one tumor was just to side of the nipple. The incision was done almost all around the nipple since there was a second surgery to check margins(to make sure he got it all).Cancer dx then.

Having bc in the nipple area makes it less noticeable.My friend told me she has scars in the middle of her breast.Even had some node involvement.So makes more area affected.

Some surgeons do as little as they can to make it less noticeable while others do more and may need to do more with the type of cancer etc.My sister in law had 4 benign tumors and she had 4 scars all over her small breasts.Senseless IMO. She couldn't believe it when I told her I had no scarring where it was and had by then 3 benign tumors taken out.

The second surgery after bc dx my surgeon had to make a bigger incision around the nipple(to check margins).Took more tissue.

Lynn Smith

GrowingSoul said:

Yes, I have one scar
I have only one scar -- and that is after 2 lumpectomies, and lymphnode removal.
My breast surgeon went in through the same scar for the 2nd lumpectomy. So--it is possible to do this with just 1 scar. My scar is about 2 inches in the upper outer quadrant of my breast where the cancer was detected, and therefore it was close to my lumphnodes.

I have two scars. My
I have two scars. My lumpectomy scar is straight out from the nipple towards the side of my body. The scar from the sentinal node is tiny. For my particular lumpectomy I can't see how it could, or should, have all been done with one incision. My surgeon is one of the top breast surgeons in the San Francisco Bay Area, and she did a wonderful job esthetically. If it could have been done with only one incision without loosing any medical benefit, she would have done it. Im sure it is just as GrowingSoul is saying, that if the lump is really close to the lymph nodes it works with one incision.

Eva

Yes, I have one incision,
Yes, I have one incision, and the scar is about 1/2 and inch. No big deal. As long as the cancer is gone, who cares about the scar.