Procedures
What each operation involves, who it is for, and what recovery actually looks like. Written to be read before the appointment rather than after it.
Breast
- 01Breast lump excisionSurgical removal of a breast lump. It is recommended when a benign lump is large, growing or causing symptoms, or when the diagnosis cannot be established confidently without removing it.
- 02Breast biopsyA small sample of breast tissue taken so it can be examined under a microscope. It is usually done with a needle under local anaesthetic, takes around fifteen to thirty minutes, and you go home the same day.
- 03Breast-conserving surgeryRemoval of a breast cancer together with a rim of surrounding normal tissue, keeping the rest of the breast. Also called a wide local excision or lumpectomy. It is almost always followed by radiotherapy.
- 04MastectomyRemoval of all of the breast tissue. It is recommended when a cancer is large relative to the breast, when there is cancer in more than one separate area, when radiotherapy is not suitable, or when a patient chooses it after understanding the alternatives.
- 05Breast reconstructionRebuilding the shape of a breast after mastectomy, using an implant, the body's own tissue, or both. It can be started at the same time as the mastectomy or carried out later, once other treatment is complete.
- 06Sentinel lymph node biopsyA procedure that identifies and removes the first few lymph nodes the breast drains into. If those nodes are clear of cancer, the remainder usually are too, which spares most patients a fuller clearance and its side effects.
- 07Port-a-cath insertionA small device implanted under the skin of the chest that gives reliable access to a large vein. It is used where treatment such as chemotherapy will run over months, so that each session does not require a new cannula in the arm.
- 08Gynaecomastia surgerySurgical removal of enlarged glandular breast tissue in men. Many cases need no surgery at all, where a reversible cause is found, addressing it comes first.
Endocrine
General & laparoscopic
- 01Laparoscopic gallbladder removalKeyhole removal of the gallbladder, usually for gallstones causing symptoms. It is performed through several small incisions using a camera and fine instruments rather than one large incision.
- 02Hernia repairRepair of a weak point in the abdominal wall through which tissue has pushed. Hernias do not heal on their own. Repair may be performed as keyhole or open surgery depending on the hernia and your surgical history.
Proctology
Still not sure whether it needs looking at?
Most breast changes turn out to be benign. Working out which ones are is what an assessment is for, and the guides here explain what that involves before you go.