Breast-sparing surgery means that the surgeon removes only your cancer and some normal tissue around it. This kind of surgery keeps your breast intact--looking a lot like it did before surgery. Other words for breast-sparing surgery include "lumpectomy," "partial mastectomy," "breast-conserving surgery," or "segmental mastectomy."

After breast-sparing surgery, most women also get radiation therapy. This type of treatment is very important because it could keep cancer from coming back in the same breast. Some women also need chemotherapy and hormone therapy.

In a mastectomy, the surgeon removes all of your breast and nipple. Sometimes, you will also need to have radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or all three types of therapy. Here are some types of mastectomy:

Total (simple) mastectomy
The surgeon removes all of your breast. Sometimes, the surgeon also takes out some of the lymph nodes under your arm. Modified radical mastectomy. The surgeon removes all of your breast, many of the lymph nodes under your arm, the lining over your chest muscles, and maybe a small chest muscle.

Double Mastectomy
The surgeon removes both your breasts at the same time, even if your cancer is in only one breast. This surgery is rare and mostly used when the surgeon feels you have a high risk for getting cancer in the breast that does not have cancer.

If you have a mastectomy, you can also choose to have breast reconstruction surgery. This surgery is done by a reconstructive plastic surgeon and gives you a new breast-like shape and nipple. Your surgeon can also add a tattoo that looks like the areola (the dark area around your nipple). Or you may not want any more surgery and prefer to wear a prosthesis (breast-like form) in your bra. There are two types of breast reconstruction surgery:

Breast implants
In this kind of surgery, a reconstructive plastic surgeon puts an implant (filled with salt water or silicone gel) under your skin or chest muscle to build a new breast-like shape. While this shape looks like a breast, you will have little feeling in it because the nerves have been cut.

Breast implants do not last a lifetime. If you choose to have an implant, chances are you will need more surgery later on to remove or replace it. Implants can cause problems such as breast hardness, breast pain, and infection. The implant may also break, move, or shift. These problems can happen soon after surgery or years later.

Tissue flaps
In tissue flap surgery, a surgeon builds a new breast-like shape from muscle, fat, and skin taken from other parts of your body. This new breast-like shape should last the rest of your life.Women who are very thin or obese, smoke, or have other serious health problems often cannot have tissue flap surgery.

Tissue flap is major surgery. Healing often takes longer after this surgery than if you have breast implants. You may have other problems, as well. For example, you might lose strength in the part of your body where muscle was taken to build a new breast. Or you may get an infection or have trouble healing. Tissue flap surgery is best done by a reconstructive plastic surgeon who has done it many times before.

	Dr. Baghai completed her Doctorate of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Her general surgery training was completed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She subsequently went to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia to complete a two year fellowship in advanced minimally invasive GI surgery and Bariatric surgery. Dr. Baghai’s expertise is in the area of minimally invasive abdominal surgery, which besides Bariatric (weight loss) surgery includes surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease, colorectal disease, complex hernias, and gastrointestinal malignancies. She also has a special interest in incorporating new technologies such as robotics into our minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery program.
	Dr. Camel received his general surgery training at both the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX and L.A. County/USC medical center in Los Angeles, CA. He also spent one year in a Pediatric Surgery Fellowship at L.A. Children’s Hospital. After his training, he became one of the busiest general surgeons in Ventura County excelling in advance laparoscopic and radioguided surgery. He has now relocated and brought his new family to Torrance joining the Association of South Bay Surgeons. He has special interest in gastroesophageal reflux disease, and advance laparoscopic, endocrine, cancer, and breast surgery.
	After completion of his surgical residency, Dr. Dumke did a trauma fellowship at the Maryland Institute of Emergency Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland under the direction of Dr. Adam Cauley. Dr. Dumke then entered the United States Army Medical Corp and was the director of the trauma unit at William Beaumont Army Medical Center. Since discharge from the army Dr. Dumke has maintained a general and vascular surgical practice in the south bay area. Dr. Dumke joined the Association of South Bay Surgeons in 2002.
	After completion of his General Surgery training at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center, Dr. Fisher spent one year in an Oncological Surgery fellowship at City of Hope Medical Center, where he obtained additional experience in performing more extensive operations for treating cancer. He has been in a busy surgical practice in our area for the past twenty-five years. Dr. Fisher has been active in numerous hospital committees and tumor boards and has a special interest in breast surgery. Dr. Fisher is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a charter member of the American Society of General Surgeons.
	Dr. Friedlander was appointed Clinical Instructor of Surgery at the University of Southern California in 1999. Throughout her career she has developed and published a variety of scientific studies in well-known medical journals. Dr. Friedlander is a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, the Society of Laparoscopic Surgeons, and the American Medical Association. She has also presented several research projects at national medical conferences. Now in clinical practice, she enjoys all aspects of general surgery and primarily focuses on two areas of expertise: breast and laparoscopic surgery.
	After obtaining his medical degree at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York, where he was a scholarship recipient, Dr. Lam received his surgical training from the world renowned Barnes Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. While at Barnes Hospital, Dr. Lam trained exclusively in General, Vascular, and Thoracic Surgery. He utilized that experience as the Chief of Surgery at Hawthorne Community Medical Group, where he delivered all aspects of General Surgery to thousands of patients in Southern California. Dr. Lam is a diplomat of the Medical Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He continues to further the education of medical students and fellow colleagues by being a volunteer faculty member at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for over 20 years.
	After finishing General Surgery training in New York, Dr. Schiff relocated and opened a General Surgery practice in Torrance. In the past 20 years he has had extensive experience in the surgical treatment of a variety of problems in the field of general surgery, including laparoscopy, hernias, breast surgery and cancer. Dr. Schiff has been very active in hospital committee work as well as taking a leadership role in organized medicine at the local and state level.
	Dr. Takahashi completed her general surgery training at LA County + USC Medical Center. During her residency at USC she spent an additional year in fellowship training in Trauma and Critical Care. She then went on to UCLA where she spent a year focused on Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery. She is Board Certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. She is a Candidate member of the American College of Surgeons, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), and the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons (ASBS). She has recently joined Association of South Bay Surgeons. Her special interests include advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery.