Abstract

April 2007

Section 3 Breast, Skin, and Soft Tissue

The procedures used to diagnose, stage, and treat breast disease are rapidly becoming less invasive and more cosmetically satisfying while remaining oncologically sound. A more minimally invasive approach to breast disease will depend to a substantial extent on the availability of accurate and efficient imaging modalities. Adeptness with such modalities is rapidly becoming an essential part of the general surgeon's skill set. The authors describe selected standard, novel, and investigational procedures employed in the diagnosis and management of breast disease, including breast ultrasonography, ductal lavage, ductoscopy, various minimally invasive and open biopsy techniques, terminal duct excision, mastectomy (partial, simple, modified radical, and skin-sparing), axillary dissection, and breast reconstruction. The application of these procedures is a dynamic process that is shaped both by technological advances and by physicians' evolving understanding of the biology of breast diseases. Illustrations depict key points of procedures. This chapter contains 56 references.

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