Questions to ask your surgeon before a lumpectomy

A lumpectomy removes the cancer with a rim of healthy tissue while keeping the rest of your breast. It is a very common operation, but the details vary from one woman to the next, and the consultation before surgery is your best chance to understand your own plan. Useful questions fall into a few groups. First, ask why a lumpectomy is being recommended for you, and whether a mastectomy or treatment before surgery was also considered. Second, ask about the operation itself: how the surgeon will find the tumour, especially if it cannot be felt, where the scar will be, how much tissue will be removed and what your breast is likely to look like afterwards. Third, ask about the lymph nodes, because a sentinel node biopsy is often done at the same time. Fourth, ask about margins, meaning the edge of healthy tissue around the cancer, and how likely it is that you will need a second operation. Fifth, ask what comes after: radiotherapy, possible chemotherapy or hormone therapy, and follow-up checks. Finally, ask practical questions about fasting, hospital stay, pain, drains, time off work and when you can lift or drive. Writing your questions down and bringing someone to take notes helps you remember the answers later.

You are entitled to understand your operation

Good surgeons expect questions and welcome them.

Some answers come only after surgery

Margins and lymph node results are confirmed in the final pathology report.

A second opinion is reasonable

If you are unsure about the plan, asking another breast surgeon is common practice.

Even the most experienced surgeon cannot answer every question fully before the operation.

Margins are not known until after surgery

The pathologist examines the edges in detail, and a small proportion of women need to go back for more tissue.

Lymph node results may change the plan

If nodes contain cancer, further surgery or radiotherapy to the armpit may be recommended.

The final appearance takes months to settle

Swelling and radiotherapy both affect how the breast looks, so early appearance is not the final result.

Recovery varies

Two women having the same operation can feel quite different in the weeks afterwards.

What this page cannot tell you

It cannot give answers for your breast, tumour and health. Only your surgical team, with your scans and biopsy, can do that.

Practical questions often come to mind only once you are home, so it helps to ask them early.

Before the operation

When should I stop eating and drinking? Which medicines, such as blood thinners or diabetes tablets, should I pause or continue? Do I need to arrive early for a marker to be placed?

On the day

Will I go home the same day or stay overnight? Will I have a drain? What pain relief will I be given?

At home

How do I care for the wound and when can I shower? Which exercises should I do? What signs mean I should call the hospital straight away?