Breast Cancer Surgery in Knoxville, TN

Premier Surgical offers our patients innovative, state-of-the-art breast care. Our team is committed to remaining at the forefront of the latest technological advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Some of our innovative services include:

Breast-conserving surgery
Options for short-duration, breast-conserving, targeted radiation therapy: MammoSite® 5-Day Radiation Therapy System | SenoRx ConturaTM Multi-lumen Balloon Catheter

Request an appointment with a member of the Premier Surgical Breast Cancer Team!

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We give our patients individualized options for treatment and partner with them to chart the best possible course of care. Our experience with referring physicians and specialists in the region makes Premier Surgical he best possible extension of ongoing care.

We are inspired by our patients, committed to research and determined to help, which is why thousands of women in East Tennessee rely on us for their breast health needs.

Female volunteers participating in breast cancer awareness

MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

At Premier Surgical, we utilize a team approach for breast treatment. Our breast cancer surgeons conference weekly with specialty teams of other cancer experts to determine the best and most comprehensive ongoing plan for each patient’s care.

This multidisciplinary method of care affords us the opportunity to partner with well-respected health care centers:

Thompson Cancer Survival Center
Parkwest Comprehensive Breast Center
Tennova Cancer Center

Our breast team and partners include:

Board-certified surgeons
Radiologists
Medical oncologists
Radiation therapists
Pathologists
Reconstructive surgeons
Genetic counselors

Common Types of Breast Cancer Surgery

Surgery to treat breast cancer ranges from the very complex to simpler approaches that can preserve the breast structure or provide for its reconstruction. Surgical procedures include:

Breast-conserving surgery

Surgery of this type focuses on conserving as much of the breast as possible. These surgical procedures remove only a part of the breast depending upon the tumor size, location and other factors. The procedures include:

Lumpectomy. This surgical procedure removes just the breast lump (tumor) and normal tissue surrounding it. Follow-up radiation therapy is generally administered.

Mastectomy

A Mastectomy is a surgical procedure performed to remove the entire breast. All of the breast tissue is removed and can include adjacent tissue. There are four types of mastectomies which include:

Simple mastectomy. With this procedure the entire breast is removed. The lymph nodes under the arm or the muscle tissue beneath the breast are not removed. Occasionally both breasts are removed, most frequently in an effort to prevent cancer.
Skin-sparing mastectomy. For some women who want breast reconstruction right away, most of the skin over the breast is left intact. The procedure works as well as the simple mastectomy with less scar tissue and a more natural looking reconstructed breast.
Modified radical mastectomy. This surgical procedure is like the simple mastectomy in which the entire breast is removed but also includes the removal of some of the lymph nodes under the arm.
Radical mastectomy. This surgical procedure involves the removal of the entire breast, the lymph nodes under the arm and the chest wall muscles under the breast. While this was once a very common procedure, it is rarely done now since the modified radical mastectomy has worked just as well. However for large tumors growing into the muscles under the breast, it may still be done.

Lymph nodes surgery

Axillary lymph node dissection. Usually performed at the same time as a mastectomy or lumpectomy, this procedure is used to find out if breast cancer has spread to lymph nodes under the arm. In most cases, less than 20 lymph nodes are removed. If cancer cells are found, there is a higher chance that cancer cells have also spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy. A sentinel lymph node biopsy helps to determine if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm without removing all of them. This procedure involves injecting a radioactive substance near the tumor which is then carried by the lymph system to the first nodes called the sentinel lymph nodes. If these nodes contain cancer, more lymph nodes may be removed. If they are free of cancer, further lymph node surgery is not usually needed.

COMPASSIONATE CARE

Premier Surgical is dedicated to timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment for all breast problems. Our women’s health team empowers patients and their families to take an active role in the decisions regarding their cancer treatment and management.

PATIENT RESOURCES

Cancer Support Community of East Tennessee

(865) 546-4661
2230 Sutherland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37919
So that no one faces cancer alone. Free education, support groups, and resources for people affected by cancer and their loved ones and and caregivers.
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