Removal of a benign breast lump

Most breast lumps are benign, meaning they are not cancer. The most common in young women is the fibroadenoma, a firm, mobile, painless lump. Other benign lesions include papillomas (small growths in a milk duct, sometimes causing nipple discharge) and cysts. Many only need monitoring. Surgery is offered when the lump grows, becomes bothersome or painful, when a biopsy cannot give a clear answer, or at the patient's request after information. The surgeon removes the lesion through a short incision, often placed at the edge of the areola or in a natural fold, so that the scar is as discreet as possible. Before the operation, an ultrasound and, depending on age, a mammogram are carried out; a biopsy is often done to identify the nature of the lump. If the lesion cannot be felt, it is located by the radiologist on the day of surgery using ultrasound or mammography. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, breast imaging and surgery are on the same site, which simplifies the patient's journey. The operation is a day-case procedure and the tissue removed is always analysed; the result is explained at the follow-up appointment.