BREAST HEALTH CENTER

Breast surgery (surgery of the mammary gland) deals with the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant diseases of the mammary gland.

Care

DGKP Julia Rotter (Breast Care Nurse)
DGKP Ingrid Nößig

The most common surgical disease of the mammary gland is breast cancer. In Tyrol, approximately 400 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. The earlier the tumor is detected, the better the patient’s chances of recovery. Surgical treatment of breast diseases ranges from the cosmetically unproblematic removal of small lumps in the breast (tumorectomy, breast-conserving surgery) to the radical removal of the entire breast (mastectomy).

Thanks to constant advances in diagnostics and therapy, approximately two-thirds of all breast cancer operations can now be performed in a breast-conserving manner.

If removal of the entire mammary gland is necessary, there is always the option of immediate or later breast reconstruction using the patient’s own tissue or a prosthesis. The removal of lymph nodes in the breast area that may be affected by the tumor also plays an important role in the surgical treatment of breast cancer. This is done by means of minimal biopsies (sentinel lymph node biopsy) or removal of the axillary lymph nodes (axillary dissection).

The Surgical Breast Center at the University Clinic for Visceral, Transplant, and Thoracic Surgery offers:

• Individual preventive examinations for high-risk patients
• Interdisciplinary diagnosis and treatment of all benign and malignant diseases of the mammary gland
• Regular follow-up examinations for breast cancer patients
• Professional care by a highly motivated team of specialists
• Day clinic therapy
• Voluntary participation in scientific studies conducted by the ABCSG (Austrian Breast Colorectal Cancer Study Group, www.abcsg.at)