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A mastectomy removes the whole breast. It is carried out by Dr Swapnil Sharma, MBBS, MS, FMAS, DrNB (Surgical Oncology), Consultant Surgical Oncologist, at Apollo Hospital International Ltd, Bhat, Gandhinagar.
A mastectomy removes the whole breast. A simple one takes the breast alone. A modified radical one also takes the armpit lymph nodes.
This page separates the two operations, and sets out drains, recovery and what can be rebuilt. The wider picture sits on the breast cancer surgery page.
Simple mastectomy removes the breast. Modified radical mastectomy removes the breast and the armpit nodes together. The chest muscles stay in both.
| Simple mastectomy | Modified radical mastectomy | |
|---|---|---|
| Breast tissue removed | Yes | Yes |
| Armpit lymph nodes removed | No | Yes |
| Chest wall muscle removed | No | No |
| Usual operating time | About 1.5 hours | About 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Usual hospital stay | 2 days | 2 to 3 days |
| Drain usually needed | Yes | Yes |
| Arm swelling risk later | Low | Higher |
Which one you need is decided by whether the armpit nodes carry disease. That is checked before surgery by scan and needle test, and during surgery if needed. Where the nodes are clear, the armpit can often be spared using sentinel node biopsy.
Removing the breast is advised when disease sits in more than one part of the breast, when the tumour is large against the breast size, when a clear margin could not be reached at a first attempt, or when radiotherapy afterwards is not possible.
Some women choose mastectomy even when conservation is on offer. That choice is respected. It is discussed with the reports in front of you, not in the abstract. Breast conservation surgery is set out on its own page so you can compare.
Expect two to three days in hospital and a drain for five to ten days. Household work returns in about three weeks. Heavy lifting waits six weeks.
The wound is closed with stitches that dissolve. The dressing stays for a few days. You go home with the drain in place, and you are taught how to empty it and write down the amount.
Fluid sometimes collects under the skin after the drain comes out. This is common and harmless. It is drawn off in the clinic with a fine needle, and may need doing more than once.
Shoulder exercises start the day after surgery. They matter more than anything else you will do at home. The arm on the operated side should be used for ordinary tasks from the start.
A breast can be rebuilt at the same sitting as the mastectomy, or as a separate operation later. Doing it together means one anaesthetic and one recovery. Doing it later lets you decide once the cancer treatment is finished.
Neither route is wrong. What suits you depends on the treatment you still need, on your build, and on what you want. The options are set out on the oncoplastic surgery and reconstruction page.
A simple mastectomy removes the breast alone. A modified radical mastectomy removes the breast and the lymph nodes from the armpit in the same operation. The muscle of the chest wall is left in place in both.
No. That was the old radical operation and it is not used now. The muscles stay. This is why arm strength and shoulder movement return well in most women.
A drain carries away the fluid that collects where the breast was. It usually stays five to ten days. You will be shown how to empty and record it before you go home.
Yes. A new breast shape can be built during the same operation or months later. Both routes are offered here. Dr Swapnil Sharma performs the reconstruction himself.
Sometimes. It depends on the size of the tumour, on how many lymph nodes carry disease, and on the margins. The tissue report answers this, not the operation.
Arm and shoulder function come back with the exercises you are taught. Most women return to household work in about three weeks. A prosthesis or reconstruction restores shape under clothes.
At Apollo Hospital International Ltd, Bhat, Gandhinagar. Consultations are held there as well. Call +91 63555 64601 to fix a time.
Send your scans and biopsy report ahead, then call to fix a time.
Dr Swapnil Sharma — MBBS, MS, FMAS, DrNB (Surgical Oncology)
Consultant Surgical Oncologist
Consultations and surgery: Apollo Hospital International Ltd, Bhat, Gandhinagar
Appointments: +91 63555 64601 · WhatsApp
Last updated: 24 September 2026. Reviewed by Dr Swapnil Sharma, MBBS, MS, FMAS, DrNB (Surgical Oncology), Consultant Surgical Oncologist.
This page is for information. It is not a substitute for an examination and a personal opinion.
