A lumpectomy is a surgery to remove the cancerous breast tissue  along with a rim of normal tissue surrounding it called a surgical margin. The remaining breast tissue is then brought together so that the contour and shape of the breast is preserved. If your tumour cannot be felt, Dr Victoria will arrange for the cancer to be localised using a radioactive seed or wire which will help identification of the cancer during surgery. This seed or wire is removed during the surgery.

Following the initial lumpectomy, 1 in 5 women undergo a 2nd surgery called re-excision surgery. This occurs if the pathology results come back positive for cancer cells in the surgical margin. In re-excision surgery, the surgical site is re-opened and an additional margin of tissue is removed in order to clear the margin and ensure it is cancer-free. The breast tissue is then brought back together in the same fashion as the lumpectomy procedure.