In a new study, researchers found that a less-invasive mastectomy has become a safe option for more patients with breast cancer.
The procedure is called nipple-sparing mastectomy and can leave the surface of the breast intact.
It can benefit patients whose breast cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes and patients with high risks for surgical complications.
The research was conducted by a team from Mayo Clinic.
In the surgery, surgeons remove breast tissue, leaving the skin, nipple, and areola, and immediately rebuild the breasts.
In the study, the team evaluated nipple-sparing mastectomy outcomes in 769 women who had the procedure between 2009 to 2017.
During the time, the surgery was performed on 1,301 breasts.
The results showed that complications within 30 days after surgery declined from 14.8% in 2009 to 6.3% in 2017, despite the fact that the procedure was offered to more women.
One year after the surgery, breast reconstruction was successful in about 97% of patients.
The researchers also found that recent or current smoking or radiation before surgery could strongly increase surgical complications.
In addition, radiation before or after surgery was linked to breast reconstruction failure.
The team suggests that breast cancer patients who are not offered nipple-sparing procedures should ask their surgeons why.
This type of surgery has been proved safe for more patients with breast cancer.
The senior author of the study is Tina Hieken, M.D., a breast surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
The study was presented at the American Society of Breast Surgeons annual meeting.
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