A breast cancer diagnosis brings a flood of information, and most of it arrives at the worst possible moment. Somewhere in that first fortnight, usually in a consulting room, someone will say the word "surgery" and you will be asked to make a decision about your own body while you are still trying to absorb the news.
Here is something many women are never clearly told: removing the cancer and keeping a breast you recognise are not competing goals. They can be planned together, in the same operation, by the same surgeon.
That is the whole idea behind oncoplastic breast surgery. It treats the cancer as the priority and the shape of your breast as part of the plan rather than an afterthought.
This guide explains what oncoplastic breast surgery involves, who it suits, how it compares with a standard lumpectomy or a mastectomy, and what recovery typically looks like. It is written for women on the Gold Coast who are weighing up their options, and for the partners, daughters and friends reading over their shoulder.
What Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Actually Is (And How It Differs From a Standard Lumpectomy)
Oncoplastic breast surgery combines two disciplines in a single operation. The "onco" part is cancer surgery: removing the tumour with a clear rim of healthy tissue around it. The "plastic" part is reconstructive technique: reshaping the remaining breast tissue so the result looks and feels like a breast rather than a breast with a piece missing.
A standard lumpectomy removes the tumour and closes the wound. For a small cancer in a larger breast, that can work well. But when the tumour is a significant proportion of the breast, or sits in an awkward spot such as the lower half or close to the nipple, simply closing the gap can leave a dent, a pulled nipple, or two breasts that no longer match.
Oncoplastic techniques address that in one of two ways.
Volume displacement. The surgeon rearranges the breast tissue you already have to fill the space left behind, often borrowing techniques from breast reduction and lift surgery. This is sometimes called a therapeutic mammoplasty. Women with larger or heavier breasts often finish with a breast that is smaller, lifted and reshaped.
Volume replacement. If there is not enough tissue to redistribute, the volume is replaced using tissue brought in from nearby, typically from the side of the chest or under the arm, or using fat grafting at a later stage.
The distinction that matters most to patients is this: a standard lumpectomy asks "how do I take the cancer out?" An oncoplastic approach asks "how do I take the cancer out and leave this woman with a breast she is happy to look at?" Both questions are considered before the first incision is made.
Why Breast Cancer Surgery on the Gold Coast Has Changed: Removing the Cancer and Preserving the Shape
Twenty years ago, breast cancer surgery was largely a binary conversation. Remove the lump, or remove the breast.
Two things changed that.
The first was evidence. Long-term studies have consistently shown that for early breast cancer, breast conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy gives survival outcomes equivalent to mastectomy. Keeping the breast does not mean accepting a worse chance of survival.
The second was technique. Once surgeons could reliably reshape the breast at the same time as removing the cancer, the amount of tissue that could safely be taken out through a breast conserving operation increased. Cancers that once often meant mastectomy can now sometimes be treated with conservation, because the surgeon has a plan for the resulting defect.
There is a quieter benefit as well. Because the surgeon is not trying to preserve every last gram of tissue for cosmetic reasons, they can afford to take a wider margin around the tumour. Wider margins can mean a lower chance of being called back for a second operation because the pathology showed cancer cells too close to the edge.
For Gold Coast women, the practical upshot is that the surgical conversation should now be a genuine three-way discussion, not a fork in the road with two branches.
Who Is a Candidate for Oncoplastic Breast Conserving Surgery?
Candidacy is decided case by case, but there are clear patterns.
Oncoplastic surgery is often a strong option if you:
- Have an early stage invasive cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) confined to one area of the breast
- Have a tumour that is large relative to your breast size, where a straight lumpectomy would leave a noticeable deformity
- Have a cancer in a cosmetically difficult location, such as the lower pole, the inner quadrant, or directly behind the nipple
- Have larger or heavier breasts, where a therapeutic mammoplasty can treat the cancer and reduce back, neck and shoulder strain at the same time
- Are willing and able to have radiotherapy after surgery
- Are a non-smoker or willing to stop, since smoking significantly impairs wound healing
A mastectomy may be the safer or more sensible option if you:
- Have cancer in several separate areas of the same breast
- Have inflammatory breast cancer or extensive DCIS throughout the breast
- Have already had radiotherapy to that breast
- Carry a high-risk genetic mutation such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 and want to reduce future risk
- Cannot have radiotherapy for medical reasons
Two further points are worth knowing. First, chemotherapy given before surgery can sometimes shrink a tumour enough to turn a mastectomy into a breast conserving operation. Second, being told "you need a mastectomy" by one clinician does not always mean every surgeon would say the same thing. Techniques and thresholds vary. It is entirely reasonable to ask whether an oncoplastic approach has been considered.
Oncoplastic Surgery vs Mastectomy vs Standard Lumpectomy: How the Options Compare
| Standard lumpectomy | Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery | Mastectomy | |
| What is removed | Tumour plus a small margin | Tumour plus a generous margin, with the breast reshaped | The whole breast |
| Breast preserved | Yes | Yes, and often reshaped or lifted | No, unless reconstructed |
| Radiotherapy | Almost always required | Almost always required | Sometimes required |
| Typical operating time | Around 1 hour | 2 to 4 hours | 2 to 3 hours, longer with reconstruction |
| Risk of a second operation for margins | Higher | Lower, because wider margins are taken | Low |
| Cosmetic result | Good for small tumours, less predictable for larger ones | Planned as part of the surgery | Depends on reconstruction |
| Surgery on the other breast | Rarely needed | Often offered for symmetry | Sometimes considered |
| Survival outcome for early cancer | Equivalent | Equivalent | Equivalent |
That last row is the one to sit with. For early breast cancer, the choice between these operations is not a choice about survival. It is a choice about what you are willing to go through, what matters to you about your body, and which approach fits your particular tumour.
What Happens to the Lymph Nodes: Sentinel Node Biopsy and Axillary Surgery
Breast cancer surgery is almost never just about the breast. Staging the lymph nodes under the arm tells your team whether the cancer has begun to spread and helps decide whether you need chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormone therapy afterwards.
Sentinel node biopsy is the standard first step. The sentinel nodes are the first one to three nodes that drain fluid away from the tumour. A tracer, usually a dye, a small dose of radioactive material or a magnetic solution, is injected into the breast and followed to those nodes. The surgeon removes only them and sends them to pathology.
If they are clear, no further node surgery is needed. This is the outcome for the majority of women with early breast cancer.
Axillary clearance, in which most of the nodes under the arm are removed, is now reserved for cases where the nodes are known to be significantly involved. It is a more extensive operation and carries a higher risk of lymphoedema, which is persistent swelling of the arm caused by disrupted lymphatic drainage.
The trend in breast surgery has been strongly towards doing less in the armpit wherever it is safe to do so, because the difference in quality of life can be substantial and lasting. If your surgeon proposes an axillary clearance, ask why, and ask what the alternative would be.
What the Surgery Involves, Step by Step, From Referral to Recovery
Every case is individual, but the pathway usually looks like this.
- Referral and diagnosis. You are referred, generally by your GP or through BreastScreen, after imaging and a biopsy have confirmed the diagnosis.
- Consultation and planning. Your surgeon reviews your imaging and pathology, examines you, and discusses your options. This is where the oncoplastic conversation belongs. Photographs and measurements may be taken to plan the reshaping.
- Multidisciplinary team meeting. Your case is discussed with radiologists, pathologists, oncologists and breast care nurses. This collaborative review is a standard part of good breast cancer care and is associated with better outcomes.
- Pre-operative preparation. You meet the breast care nurse, discuss what to expect, and stop smoking and certain medications if advised. If a wire or seed localisation is needed to mark a cancer that cannot be felt, this is done on the morning of surgery.
- The operation. Performed under general anaesthetic. The surgeon marks the planned incisions while you are standing, because the breast changes shape when you lie down. The tumour and its margin are removed, the sentinel nodes are sampled, and the breast is reshaped. Surgery on the other breast for symmetry may be done at the same time or planned for later.
- Recovery in hospital. Most women go home the same day or after one night. Some go home with a drain, and the nurse will show you how to manage it.
- Pathology results. Usually available within one to two weeks. These confirm the margins, the node status and the tumour characteristics, and shape the rest of your treatment.
- Ongoing treatment. Radiotherapy typically begins several weeks after surgery once the wound has healed. Chemotherapy or hormone therapy may also be recommended.
Recovery, Scarring and What Your Breast Will Look Like Afterwards
Recovery from oncoplastic surgery usually takes a little longer than from a standard lumpectomy, because more work has been done, but it is generally less involved than recovering from a mastectomy with reconstruction.
A general timeline (recovery varies from person to person):
- Week 1: Soreness, bruising and swelling. Pain is usually well controlled with simple analgesia. You will wear a firm supportive bra day and night.
- Weeks 2 to 3: Many women are driving again and managing normal daily activities, and returning to desk-based work.
- Weeks 4 to 6: Gradual return to exercise, avoiding heavy lifting and strenuous upper body work until cleared.
- Months 3 to 12: Swelling settles, scars fade and soften, and the breast settles into its final shape.
On scarring. Oncoplastic incisions are usually placed where breast reduction and lift scars go, meaning around the areola, vertically below it, and sometimes in the fold under the breast. They are more extensive than a single lumpectomy scar, but they are placed in predictable, discreet locations rather than wherever the tumour happened to be. Scars are red and firm at first and typically fade over about twelve months.
On the final appearance. The reshaped breast is often smaller and higher than it was. If only one breast is operated on, the two may not match, which is why symmetrising surgery on the other breast is frequently offered. Sensation around the nipple and incisions may be altered or reduced, sometimes permanently.
On radiotherapy. Radiotherapy causes the treated breast to firm up slightly and can cause a small reduction in size over time. This is expected and is factored into the surgical plan.
Does Oncoplastic Surgery Affect Cancer Outcomes or Follow-Up Screening?
This is the question that matters most.
Cancer outcomes. Oncoplastic surgery is breast conserving surgery. It follows the same oncological principles: remove the cancer with clear margins, stage the nodes, follow with radiotherapy. Because oncoplastic techniques allow wider margins to be taken, re-excision rates for involved margins are generally lower than with standard lumpectomy. It follows the same cancer-treatment principles.
Timing of further treatment. Recovery is straightforward in the large majority of cases, and radiotherapy or chemotherapy usually begins on schedule. Complications such as infection or delayed healing can cause a delay, which is one reason smoking cessation is taken so seriously.
Follow-up screening. You will continue to have regular mammograms of the treated breast, usually annually. Post-surgical changes such as scar tissue, distortion and fat necrosis do appear on imaging, and they can occasionally look concerning to someone unfamiliar with the surgery you have had. This is why the first post-operative mammogram is important as a new baseline, and why it helps to have your imaging read by radiologists who work regularly with oncoplastic patients. It does not make cancer harder to detect, but it does make continuity of care worthwhile.
Why Some Women Are Never Offered Oncoplastic Surgery
Some women only discover oncoplastic surgery exists after their operation, when someone in a support group mentions it. Here are some of the reasons.
Not every surgeon performs it. Oncoplastic technique requires additional training beyond general surgical qualifications. A surgeon who does not perform these operations is unlikely to lead with them as an option.
The pressure to decide quickly. A cancer diagnosis creates enormous urgency, and many women accept the first plan offered because they want the cancer out. In reality, for most early breast cancers, taking an extra week or two to get properly informed does not affect the outcome.
The assumption that shape does not matter. How your breast looks and feels afterwards can affect how you dress, how you feel about your body, and how you experience intimacy. It is a legitimate part of the clinical decision, and good surgeons treat it that way.
Mastectomy assumed to be the safest choice. For early breast cancer, it is not safer in survival terms, and it is a bigger operation with a bigger recovery. Sometimes it is genuinely the right answer, but it is worth being a considered choice rather than a default.
If you take one thing from this article, let it be the question to ask at your next appointment: "Am I a candidate for oncoplastic breast conserving surgery, and if not, why not?"
Choosing a Breast Surgeon on the Gold Coast: Credentials, Questions and What to Look For
Credentials to check:
- Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)
- Membership of Breast Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand (BreastSurgANZ)
- Specific training and ongoing practice in oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery
- Participation in a multidisciplinary team meeting for every case
- Access to a dedicated breast care nurse
Questions worth asking in your consultation:
- What are all of my surgical options, including the ones you would not recommend?
- Am I a candidate for oncoplastic breast conserving surgery?
- What will my breast realistically look like afterwards, and where will the scars be?
- Will you need to operate on my other breast for symmetry, and when?
- What is the chance I will need a second operation for margins?
- What node surgery are you planning, and why?
- How many of these operations do you perform?
- Who do I contact if something worries me at 9pm on a Sunday?
On second opinions. Asking for one is normal, expected and easy to arrange.
Bringing It Together
Oncoplastic breast surgery exists because two things can be true at once. Your cancer needs to be removed completely, with clear margins and proper staging of the lymph nodes. And you deserve to finish treatment with a breast that still looks and feels like yours.
For early breast cancer, breast conservation with radiotherapy offers survival equivalent to mastectomy. Oncoplastic technique extends who can safely be offered that conservation, allows wider margins, and plans the shape of the result from the beginning rather than leaving it to chance.
Not every woman is a candidate, and mastectomy remains the right operation for some. But the option should always be on the table, discussed openly, and set aside only for a reason you understand.
Talk to Gault Surgery About Your Options
At Gault Surgery, breast surgery is not a sideline. It is what we do.
Dr John Gault completed his medical training at Queen's University Belfast before relocating to Australia to complete his Fellowship in General Surgery, followed by years of experience and training in oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery. His focus is on both effective cancer treatment and the appearance of the breast, because both matter.
Our practice was founded in 2011 on four principles: dedication, skill, compassion and education. We believe you make better decisions when you understand your options, so we take the time to explain them properly. Our breast care nurse is a touchstone for our patients, acting as your advocate, coordinator and educator from your first appointment through to recovery and beyond.
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, or you have been told mastectomy is your only option and you would like a second opinion, we would be glad to talk with you.
Call our reception team on 07 5539 3999 or request an appointment online.
Who Is a Candidate for Oncoplastic Breast Conserving Surgery?
Candidacy is decided case by case, but there are clear patterns.
Oncoplastic surgery is often a strong option if you:
- Have an early stage invasive cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) confined to one area of the breast
- Have a tumour that is large relative to your breast size, where a straight lumpectomy would leave a noticeable deformity
- Have a cancer in a cosmetically difficult location, such as the lower pole, the inner quadrant, or directly behind the nipple
- Have larger or heavier breasts, where a therapeutic mammoplasty can treat the cancer and reduce back, neck and shoulder strain at the same time
- Are willing and able to have radiotherapy after surgery
- Are a non-smoker or willing to stop, since smoking significantly impairs wound healing
A mastectomy may be the safer or more sensible option if you:
- Have cancer in several separate areas of the same breast
- Have inflammatory breast cancer or extensive DCIS throughout the breast
- Have already had radiotherapy to that breast
- Carry a high-risk genetic mutation such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 and want to reduce future risk
- Cannot have radiotherapy for medical reasons
Two further points are worth knowing. First, chemotherapy given before surgery can sometimes shrink a tumour enough to turn a mastectomy into a breast conserving operation. Second, being told "you need a mastectomy" by one clinician does not always mean every surgeon would say the same thing. Techniques and thresholds vary. It is entirely reasonable to ask whether an oncoplastic approach has been considered.
Oncoplastic Surgery vs Mastectomy vs Standard Lumpectomy: How the Options Compare
| Standard lumpectomy | Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery | Mastectomy | |
| What is removed | Tumour plus a small margin | Tumour plus a generous margin, with the breast reshaped | The whole breast |
| Breast preserved | Yes | Yes, and often reshaped or lifted | No, unless reconstructed |
| Radiotherapy | Almost always required | Almost always required | Sometimes required |
| Typical operating time | Around 1 hour | 2 to 4 hours | 2 to 3 hours, longer with reconstruction |
| Risk of a second operation for margins | Higher | Lower, because wider margins are taken | Low |
| Cosmetic result | Good for small tumours, less predictable for larger ones | Planned as part of the surgery | Depends on reconstruction |
| Surgery on the other breast | Rarely needed | Often offered for symmetry | Sometimes considered |
| Survival outcome for early cancer | Equivalent | Equivalent | Equivalent |
That last row is the one to sit with. For early breast cancer, the choice between these operations is not a choice about survival. It is a choice about what you are willing to go through, what matters to you about your body, and which approach fits your particular tumour.
What Happens to the Lymph Nodes: Sentinel Node Biopsy and Axillary Surgery
Breast cancer surgery is almost never just about the breast. Staging the lymph nodes under the arm tells your team whether the cancer has begun to spread and helps decide whether you need chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormone therapy afterwards.
Sentinel node biopsy is the standard first step. The sentinel nodes are the first one to three nodes that drain fluid away from the tumour. A tracer, usually a dye, a small dose of radioactive material or a magnetic solution, is injected into the breast and followed to those nodes. The surgeon removes only them and sends them to pathology.
If they are clear, no further node surgery is needed. This is the outcome for the majority of women with early breast cancer.
Axillary clearance, in which most of the nodes under the arm are removed, is now reserved for cases where the nodes are known to be significantly involved. It is a more extensive operation and carries a higher risk of lymphoedema, which is persistent swelling of the arm caused by disrupted lymphatic drainage.
The trend in breast surgery has been strongly towards doing less in the armpit wherever it is safe to do so, because the difference in quality of life can be substantial and lasting. If your surgeon proposes an axillary clearance, ask why, and ask what the alternative would be.
What the Surgery Involves, Step by Step, From Referral to Recovery
Every case is individual, but the pathway usually looks like this.
- Referral and diagnosis. You are referred, generally by your GP or through BreastScreen, after imaging and a biopsy have confirmed the diagnosis.
- Consultation and planning. Your surgeon reviews your imaging and pathology, examines you, and discusses your options. This is where the oncoplastic conversation belongs. Photographs and measurements may be taken to plan the reshaping.
- Multidisciplinary team meeting. Your case is discussed with radiologists, pathologists, oncologists and breast care nurses. This collaborative review is a standard part of good breast cancer care and is associated with better outcomes.
- Pre-operative preparation. You meet the breast care nurse, discuss what to expect, and stop smoking and certain medications if advised. If a wire or seed localisation is needed to mark a cancer that cannot be felt, this is done on the morning of surgery.
- The operation. Performed under general anaesthetic. The surgeon marks the planned incisions while you are standing, because the breast changes shape when you lie down. The tumour and its margin are removed, the sentinel nodes are sampled, and the breast is reshaped. Surgery on the other breast for symmetry may be done at the same time or planned for later.
- Recovery in hospital. Most women go home the same day or after one night. Some go home with a drain, and the nurse will show you how to manage it.
- Pathology results. Usually available within one to two weeks. These confirm the margins, the node status and the tumour characteristics, and shape the rest of your treatment.
- Ongoing treatment. Radiotherapy typically begins several weeks after surgery once the wound has healed. Chemotherapy or hormone therapy may also be recommended.
Recovery, Scarring and What Your Breast Will Look Like Afterwards
Recovery from oncoplastic surgery usually takes a little longer than from a standard lumpectomy, because more work has been done, but it is generally less involved than recovering from a mastectomy with reconstruction.
A general timeline (recovery varies from person to person):
- Week 1: Soreness, bruising and swelling. Pain is usually well controlled with simple analgesia. You will wear a firm supportive bra day and night.
- Weeks 2 to 3: Many women are driving again and managing normal daily activities, and returning to desk-based work.
- Weeks 4 to 6: Gradual return to exercise, avoiding heavy lifting and strenuous upper body work until cleared.
- Months 3 to 12: Swelling settles, scars fade and soften, and the breast settles into its final shape.
On scarring. Oncoplastic incisions are usually placed where breast reduction and lift scars go, meaning around the areola, vertically below it, and sometimes in the fold under the breast. They are more extensive than a single lumpectomy scar, but they are placed in predictable, discreet locations rather than wherever the tumour happened to be. Scars are red and firm at first and typically fade over about twelve months.
On the final appearance. The reshaped breast is often smaller and higher than it was. If only one breast is operated on, the two may not match, which is why symmetrising surgery on the other breast is frequently offered. Sensation around the nipple and incisions may be altered or reduced, sometimes permanently.
On radiotherapy. Radiotherapy causes the treated breast to firm up slightly and can cause a small reduction in size over time. This is expected and is factored into the surgical plan.
Does Oncoplastic Surgery Affect Cancer Outcomes or Follow-Up Screening?
This is the question that matters most.
Cancer outcomes. Oncoplastic surgery is breast conserving surgery. It follows the same oncological principles: remove the cancer with clear margins, stage the nodes, follow with radiotherapy. Because oncoplastic techniques allow wider margins to be taken, re-excision rates for involved margins are generally lower than with standard lumpectomy. It follows the same cancer-treatment principles.
Timing of further treatment. Recovery is straightforward in the large majority of cases, and radiotherapy or chemotherapy usually begins on schedule. Complications such as infection or delayed healing can cause a delay, which is one reason smoking cessation is taken so seriously.
Follow-up screening. You will continue to have regular mammograms of the treated breast, usually annually. Post-surgical changes such as scar tissue, distortion and fat necrosis do appear on imaging, and they can occasionally look concerning to someone unfamiliar with the surgery you have had. This is why the first post-operative mammogram is important as a new baseline, and why it helps to have your imaging read by radiologists who work regularly with oncoplastic patients. It does not make cancer harder to detect, but it does make continuity of care worthwhile.
Why Some Women Are Never Offered Oncoplastic Surgery
Some women only discover oncoplastic surgery exists after their operation, when someone in a support group mentions it. Here are some of the reasons.
Not every surgeon performs it. Oncoplastic technique requires additional training beyond general surgical qualifications. A surgeon who does not perform these operations is unlikely to lead with them as an option.
The pressure to decide quickly. A cancer diagnosis creates enormous urgency, and many women accept the first plan offered because they want the cancer out. In reality, for most early breast cancers, taking an extra week or two to get properly informed does not affect the outcome.
The assumption that shape does not matter. How your breast looks and feels afterwards can affect how you dress, how you feel about your body, and how you experience intimacy. It is a legitimate part of the clinical decision, and good surgeons treat it that way.
Mastectomy assumed to be the safest choice. For early breast cancer, it is not safer in survival terms, and it is a bigger operation with a bigger recovery. Sometimes it is genuinely the right answer, but it is worth being a considered choice rather than a default.
If you take one thing from this article, let it be the question to ask at your next appointment: "Am I a candidate for oncoplastic breast conserving surgery, and if not, why not?"
Choosing a Breast Surgeon on the Gold Coast: Credentials, Questions and What to Look For
Credentials to check:
- Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)
- Membership of Breast Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand (BreastSurgANZ)
- Specific training and ongoing practice in oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery
- Participation in a multidisciplinary team meeting for every case
- Access to a dedicated breast care nurse
Questions worth asking in your consultation:
- What are all of my surgical options, including the ones you would not recommend?
- Am I a candidate for oncoplastic breast conserving surgery?
- What will my breast realistically look like afterwards, and where will the scars be?
- Will you need to operate on my other breast for symmetry, and when?
- What is the chance I will need a second operation for margins?
- What node surgery are you planning, and why?
- How many of these operations do you perform?
- Who do I contact if something worries me at 9pm on a Sunday?
On second opinions. Asking for one is normal, expected and easy to arrange.
Bringing It Together
Oncoplastic breast surgery exists because two things can be true at once. Your cancer needs to be removed completely, with clear margins and proper staging of the lymph nodes. And you deserve to finish treatment with a breast that still looks and feels like yours.
For early breast cancer, breast conservation with radiotherapy offers survival equivalent to mastectomy. Oncoplastic technique extends who can safely be offered that conservation, allows wider margins, and plans the shape of the result from the beginning rather than leaving it to chance.
Not every woman is a candidate, and mastectomy remains the right operation for some. But the option should always be on the table, discussed openly, and set aside only for a reason you understand.
Talk to Gault Surgery About Your Options
At Gault Surgery, breast surgery is not a sideline. It is what we do.
Dr John Gault completed his medical training at Queen's University Belfast before relocating to Australia to complete his Fellowship in General Surgery, followed by years of experience and training in oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery. His focus is on both effective cancer treatment and the appearance of the breast, because both matter.
Our practice was founded in 2011 on four principles: dedication, skill, compassion and education. We believe you make better decisions when you understand your options, so we take the time to explain them properly. Our breast care nurse is a touchstone for our patients, acting as your advocate, coordinator and educator from your first appointment through to recovery and beyond.
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, or you have been told mastectomy is your only option and you would like a second opinion, we would be glad to talk with you.
Call our reception team on 07 5539 3999 or request an appointment online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is oncoplastic breast surgery as safe as a mastectomy for treating breast cancer?
For early breast cancer, the evidence is reassuring. Long-term studies show that breast conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy gives survival outcomes equivalent to mastectomy. Oncoplastic technique also allows a wider margin of healthy tissue to be removed around the tumour, which can reduce the chance of needing a second operation. The right operation still depends on your individual tumour, so this is a decision to make with your surgeon.
Will I need surgery on my healthy breast as well?
Often, yes, and it is offered rather than imposed. Because oncoplastic surgery reshapes and frequently reduces the treated breast, a matching reduction or lift on the other side can help restore symmetry. It can be done during the same operation or as a separate procedure later, once the treated breast has settled after radiotherapy.
How long is recovery after oncoplastic breast surgery?
Most women go home the same day or after one night. Driving and normal daily activities usually resume within two to three weeks, and desk-based work around the same time. Exercise and heavy lifting are typically restricted for four to six weeks. The breast continues to settle into its final shape over six to twelve months. Recovery varies between individuals.
Will oncoplastic surgery make my future mammograms harder to read?
It does not prevent cancer being detected, but it does change the appearance of the breast on imaging. Scar tissue and fat necrosis can show up on a mammogram. That is why a new baseline mammogram is taken after surgery, and why it helps to have your follow-up imaging reviewed by radiologists who regularly interpret post-oncoplastic breasts.
Can I ask for oncoplastic surgery if my surgeon has recommended a mastectomy?
Yes. Not every surgeon performs oncoplastic procedures, so it is not always raised as an option. Ask directly whether you are a candidate for oncoplastic breast conserving surgery and, if not, what the specific reason is. A second opinion is a normal and reasonable step, and for most early breast cancers taking an extra week or two to make an informed decision does not affect your outcome.