At Northside Duluth Breast Specialists, we offer exceptional breast care and comprehensive patient support services for both men and women through a compassionate approach. We work with our patients to provide personalized patient treatment plan while coordinating care with your other specialists.
At Northside Duluth Breast Specialists, we offer a variety of minimally-invasive surgical procedures to diagnose and treat breast cancer in both men and women. Below is a list of some of the surgical procedures we offer.
Axillary Lymph Node Dissection
An axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is a cancer treatment surgery used to remove lymph nodes in the armpit. All of the lymph nodes in the axilla (underarm) are removed during the procedure.
Breast Biopsy
Your doctor may recommend a breast biopsy if they find an abnormal lump during a breast exam or mammogram. During the procedure, abnormal cells or fluid from an area of concern within the breast will be removed in order to diagnose breast cancer.
Duct Excision
A duct excision is a surgical procedure to remove a duct from your breast in order to evaluate it for malignancy or to relieve symptoms associated with the duct. It may be performed to remove an abnormal area in the breast duct system. The abnormal area may have been found on ultrasound or a ductogram after you noticed discharge from your nipple.
Lumpectomy
Women diagnosed with breast cancers that are small enough and can leave surrounding healthy tissue behind are candidates for lumpectomy options. A lumpectomy is also known as a partial mastectomy, or breast-conserving surgery (BCS).
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
The axillary lymph nodes are generally the first place where breast cancer spreads. These lymph nodes, which are located in the armpit, are always checked to determine whether the cancer has spread outside the breast. A sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is done to look for the spread of cancer into the lymph nodes in the axilla (underarm).
Mastectomy
A mastectomy involves the removal of all breast tissue and sometimes the overlying skin and nipple. Dr. Proctor offers nipple and skin sparing mastectomies in eligible patients. Your surgeon will discuss options for reconstruction of your breast with you during your preoperative office visits.
After having a mastectomy, many women choose to have reconstructive surgery. Federal law mandates that insurance companies must cover reconstruction for women having surgery for breast cancer. In many cases, reconstruction can be performed at the same time as the mastectomy. While Dr. Proctor will discuss breast reconstruction in general with all mastectomy patients, she will refer you to a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss the options for reconstruction in detail.
