How your breast will look after surgery depends on the type of surgery that you have, as well as the size of your breast and your body shape. It can take up to a few weeks for any bruising and swelling of the surgery area to go away.
Learn more about:
Changes after surgery
| After breast-conserving surgery | The size and position of the scar will depend on how much tissue was removed. The scar will usually be less than 10 cm and near where the cancer was or around the areola or near the breast fold. But this can vary depending on your breast size and how much breast tissue needs to be removed. It can also change if you need to have further surgery to remove more tissue. If a larger area needs to be removed, surgical techniques known as oncoplastic surgery can reshape the breast after breast-conserving surgery. |
| After a mastectomy | The scar will be across the skin of the chest. If you have surgery to remove the lymph nodes, the scar will also be in the armpit. At first the scar will be firm, slightly raised and red. Over the next few months, it will flatten and fade. |
| Impact on self-esteem | Scars or changes to how your breast looks can affect how you feel about yourself (self-image and self-esteem). If you have had a mastectomy (or part of your breast removed), it’s common to feel a sense of loss. It may also affect your sense of identity. |
| Seeking support | Talking to someone who has had breast cancer surgery can be helpful. Cancer Council’s Cancer Connect program may be able to link you to others who have had a similar experience. Speaking with a counsellor or psychologist for emotional support and coping strategies can also help. Call Cancer Council 13 11 20 for details. |
Breast appearance after surgery
What your breast will look like after surgery varies from person to person. It will depend on the type of surgery you have and how much tissue is removed.
The pictures below give some examples of how your breast might look but ask your surgeon for more photographs to help you choose the best approach for you.
Breast-conserving surgery
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Two years after surgery to left breast. The scar can still be seen but has healed and faded a little. The size of the scar varies but can be around 10 cm. The surgery was followed by radiation therapy. |
Mastectomy
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Left breast removed, with no reconstruction. All possible breast tissue has been removed and the scar runs horizontally across the chest wall. This photo is some time after surgery and shows results once the scar has healed. |
Nipple-sparing mastectomy with implant reconstruction
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Left breast removed with a nipple-sparing mastectomy, followed by a breast reconstruction using an implant. If it is not possible to keep the nipple, there is the option of having a nipple reconstruction later. |
Mastectomy with a flap reconstruction
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Right breast removed, followed by a breast reconstruction using tissue from the back. Tissue from the abdomen, buttock or thigh can also be used for a reconstruction. You can choose to have a nipple reconstruction later. |
→ READ MORE: Side effects of surgery for cancer breast
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Dr Diana Adams, Medical Oncologist, Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre, NSW; Prof Bruce Mann, Specialist Breast Surgeon and Director, Breast Cancer Services, The Royal Melbourne and The Royal Women’s Hospitals, VIC; Dr Shagun Aggarwal, Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Prince of Wales, Sydney Children’s and Royal Hospital for Women, NSW; Andrea Concannon, consumer; Jenny Gilchrist, Nurse Practitioner Breast Oncology, Macquarie University Hospital, NSW; Monica Graham, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Natasha Keir, Nurse Practitioner Breast Oncology, GenesisCare, QLD; Dr Bronwyn Kennedy, Breast Physician, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, NSW; Lisa Montgomery, consumer; A/Prof Sanjay Warrier, Specialist Breast Surgeon, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Dr Janice Yeh, Radiation Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC.
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