Many women are worried about when to remove fibroadenomas. Indications for surgical intervention are established by a specialist. The attending physician takes into account the results of the diagnosis performed by the patient. If there are unpleasant sensations in the mammary glands, it is important to consult a gynecologist immediately. If the doctor reveals the presence of seals, he will be referred to a mammologist for examination; if a malignant tumor process is suspected, the patient should consult an oncologist. If necessary, fibroadenomas are removed. Experts do not recommend self-medication, since pathology is able to develop and move into more complex forms. In order not to harm the general state of health and not cause the development of complications, it is important not to delay going to the doctor.
Fibroadenoma - what is it?
Fibroadenoma is a neoplasm of the mammary glands. Glandular and connective tissue form a node or tumor, the size of which varies from 0.7 to 4.9 cm in diameter. Most often appears in women aged 21-49 years (at the time of the greatest hormonal fluctuation). Tumors develop due to uncontrolled intake of a hormonal drug (including oral contraceptive), improper termination of breastfeeding. Predisposing factors include:
- systematic abortion;
- overweight;
- thyroid disease;
- kidney disease.
The neoplasm does not appear due to a genetic predisposition.
Under what circumstances is an operation necessary?
Under what conditions should fibroadenoma be removed? It is necessary to eliminate the tumor process with a large compaction and in the event that the patient has severe pain and discomfort. In the process of pregnancy planning, it is necessary to remove the fibroadenoma, since during the bearing of the baby, the growth of the neoplasm is often accelerated. Even if there is a slight compaction, it is important to carry out the treatment.
Key indications and contraindications for removal
Breast fibroadenoma should be removed if:
- there is no positive effect after the use of drugs prescribed by the doctor;
- rapid tumor growth;
- the presence of a leaf-shaped form of the neoplasm was detected;
- malignancy of fibroadenoma.
There are contraindications to the removal of the tumor, which can be both absolute and relative. In the first case, it is forbidden to carry out surgical intervention, in the second - the operation is possible, but only after correction of the clinical picture of the patient.
The main contraindications
It is forbidden to carry out an operation to remove breast fibroadenoma:
- with bleeding disorders;
- if diabetes is detected;
- if there is a disease of the heart, liver, kidneys.
The operation is not performed if the patient has a respiratory illness, or acute respiratory infections. First of all, it is important to improve the general health of the patient, after which surgical intervention can be carried out. Elevated body temperature is a direct contraindication to such a manipulation.
How to prepare the patient for surgery?
A thorough medical examination of the patient before the operation to remove breast fibroadenoma is carried out first. A woman needs to undergo a general clinical analysis of blood and urine, an ECG and fluorography. With the help of ultrasound and mammography, the size of the neoplasm is determined.
In the process of biopsy, the specialist takes the biological material and sends it to histological studies. Such an analysis will determine the nature of the neoplasm and exclude the presence of atypical cells. If a woman has a chronic pathology, then the specialist gives a referral to a specialist with the appropriate profile. Thanks to the control examination, the risk of complications on the eve of the operation can be eliminated. If the patient is not mentally prepared for surgery, you should consult a psychologist.
How will the tumor be removed?
There are times when fibroadenoma lends itself to conservative methods of treatment. If the disease is too neglected, then surgery should be performed. After a minimally invasive treatment, complications are least likely to occur. In the process of conducting a radical operation, in addition to the neoplasm, the mammary gland is also removed. Only the attending physician determines the specific type of surgical intervention, taking into account the size of the fibroadenoma and the general health of the patient.
What could be the consequences?
Despite a thorough examination of the patient before the operation, adverse events may occur, namely:
- Painful sensations are a natural reaction of the body to dissection of tissues. For four days after surgery, a woman is injected with an analgesic. In addition, the drug is used in the form of injections in order to eliminate severe pain. In the future, unpleasant sensations can be eliminated with the help of tablets, which are allowed to be taken no more than three times a day.
- Scar formation. The severity of the scars depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's body and the experience of the surgeon. The type of surgical approach is also important.
- The formation of hematomas. Given the fact that blood vessels are damaged during surgery, subcutaneous hemorrhages may occur. If bruises on the mammary gland persist for more than a week, then the specialist introduces ascorbic acid intravenously to the patient and applies a resolving ointment.
- Changing the shape of the mammary glands. Due to scar tissue changes, the shape of the breast changes. Often the cause of this side effect is the improper use of the nozzle of the device.
- Loss of nipple sensation. Due to damage to nerve fibers, sensitivity may not be present.
- Blood loss occurs due to damage to large blood vessels. During the surgery, the doctor should cauterize these structures to prevent bleeding.
- An infectious disease occurs if, after surgery, the patient or doctor did not observe basic hygiene rules. Under such conditions, the skin can become very inflamed, while the body temperature rises.
Pathogenic masses are important to eliminate if pus forms. A woman should dress up and wash the wound using an antiseptic solution. In some cases, after surgery, there is a severe headache due to anesthesia. In such conditions, it is important to take an anesthetic every seven hours.
Types of surgical intervention
The operation to remove fibroadenoma can be both planned and urgent (unscheduled). In the first case, the patient is carefully prepared for surgery, in the second, the examination is carried out in an emergency mode. The urgency of the operation is affected by several factors:
- the nature of the neoplasm;
- tumor size;
- the power of manifestation of unpleasant symptoms.
In the presence of a large tumor of a malignant nature, it is important to immediately remove the neoplasm.
- In the process of enucleation, the doctor excises the fibroadenoma, while not affecting the structure of the mammary gland. To conduct this type of intervention, it is important to confirm the benign nature of the tumor. Before the procedure, the patient should be provided with local anesthesia. Under such conditions, unpleasant sensations during the operation will not occur.
- Breast tissue dissection is carried out along the border of the halo. This will minimize the visibility of the scar and sutures after removal of the breast fibroadenoma. This method of tumor removal is based on the use of a power tool or a scalpel, thanks to which the specialist separates the tumor from the surrounding tissue. The husking time is 50 minutes. Sutures must be removed eight days after surgery.
- During the sector resection, the surgeon removes the fibroadenoma. Before the operation, the patient is administered general anesthesia, this will avoid unpleasant sensations during the surgical procedure. The neoplasm must be excised with the surrounding tissues of the gland itself. The scar after such manipulation can be eliminated only by plastic surgery. The duration of the operation is 40-70 minutes. It all depends on the size of the tumor and the volume of the mammary gland.
- With total resection, the fibroadenoma and mammary gland are completely removed. This method of treatment is used only if the tumor is large and grows rapidly, while there is a risk of degeneration into a cancerous tumor. The duration of the operation is 60 minutes. A large size scar may remain after the procedure.
- Laser fibroadenoma removal. Using a laser helps to get rid of fibroadenoma, while the surrounding tissue is not affected. To direct the laser, the surgeon uses a special nozzle and destroys the tumor cells. The procedure lasts 35 minutes. In most cases, the scar is absent after the procedure.
The vacuum method of the operation to remove the fibroadenoma of the mammary gland allows you to get rid of the tumor, even a large one. During the operation, a long needle is used. In the process of such manipulation, discomfort does not occur, while there is no risk of complications.
Duration of postoperative recovery
The speed of recovery after surgery depends on many factors, namely:
- patient age;
- general state of health;
- type of operation.
It is equally important that the patient properly cares for the surgical wound. After the woman is transferred to the ward, the attending physician systematically monitors her general state of health (the level of blood pressure, heart rate are measured, overall health is analyzed). After surgery, the doctor applies ice to the affected area, this will reduce the risk of large bruises. It is important not to overdo it, as hypothermia of the skin may occur. A week later, the doctor removes the stitches or does not affect them at all. Much depends on the suture materials that the surgeon chose. A hygiene procedure is allowed 5 days after surgery. To exclude the entry of infection into the body, it is allowed to take only a shower. It is advisable not to use hot water, as this can provoke a strong inflammatory process.
What does the mammary gland look like after surgery?
What does the breast look like after fibroadenoma removal? It is impossible to predict her condition after surgery. To reduce the risk of scarring to a minimum, it is important to consult a doctor in time if one of the symptoms of the disease appears. Under such conditions, the tumor will not have time to grow to a large size. Thanks to this, it will be possible to solve the problem by a more gentle type of operation for the woman’s body. Using laser resurfacing, visible scars can be removed after removal of breast fibroadenoma. Depending on the size of the scars, you will need from 3 to 8 procedures. When the wound heals, it will be possible to restore the shape of the mammary gland using surgical or alternative methods. These include:
- drop-shaped implant implantation;
- plastic surgery with the installation of a round implant;
- hyaluronic acid injection.
To maintain the result, it is important to regularly inject hyaluronic acid.
Pain after removal
An unpleasant sensation may be present for 3 days after the removal of fibroadenoma, since the effect of anesthesia gradually weakens. Doctors do not recommend enduring unpleasant and painful sensations, as complications can occur. If the wound heals well, while there is no pus and hemorrhage, over time, the need to administer painkillers after removal of fibroadenoma decreases.
The reviews of medical workers confirm the fact that timely access to a doctor will help prevent the development of serious complications. When the tumor is small, the treatment is much more effective and faster. It is not recommended to use alternative methods of therapy, since time is too expensive for the patient's life. Some herbs can even provoke active growth of the neoplasm, so it is better not to risk it. Experts recommend regularly undergoing medical examinations and taking tests.