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Hidden Scar Procedures

With a Hidden Scar Procedure, your surgeon will place your incision in a location that is hard to see, so that the scar is not visible when your incision heals. As a result, you have little to no visible reminder of the surgery or your cancer.

At Stone Oak Breast Surgery, we provide patients with Hidden Scar Lumpectomy and Hidden Scar Nipple Sparing Mastectomy procedures. Our surgeons have been extensively trained in these Hidden Scar procedures to ensure that you have the best surgical outcome.

Hidden Scar Lumpectomy

In a lumpectomy procedure, your surgeon will remove a breast cancer tumor and a small portion of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor (margin), but will save the majority of the breast including the nipple area.

A lumpectomy can be performed as a Hidden Scar procedure. This means that the incision is made in a place that is hard to see. There are three different locations for a lumpectomy incision that make the scar less visible:

  1. Inframammary Fold: The natural crease beneath the breast
  2. Periareolar: Along the edges of the areola
  3. Axilla: In the armpit, usually hidden in a natural fold
Hidden Scar Lumpectomy Diagram

You may be considered for a Hidden Scar Lumpectomy if the size of the tumor is small enough relative to the size of your breast, and if the cancer has not spread to other areas of the breast.

Traditional Results

Traditional Lumpectomy Results

Hidden Scar Results

Hidden Scar Lumpectomy Results

Explanatory Video

Want more information on Hidden Scar Procedures? Visit breastcancersurgery.com to learn more.


Hidden Scar Nipple Sparing Mastectomy

In a mastectomy procedure, your surgeon removes breast cancer tumor by removing all of the breast tissue. There are several mastectomy options: a simple (total) mastectomy, a skin sparing mastectomy, and a nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM). A Nipple Sparing Mastectomy is a type of mastectomy procedure where the surgeon removes all of the breast tissue, but does not remove the nipple.

A Nipple Sparing Mastectomy can be performed as a Hidden Scar Procedure. This means that the incision is made in a place that is hard to see. There is one location for a Nipple Sparing Mastectomy that make the scar less visible:

  • Inframammary Fold: The natural crease beneath the breast
Hidden Scar Mastectomy Diagram

You may be considered for a Hidden Scar Nipple Sparing Mastectomy if no cancerous tissue is found in the nipple. Additionally, a Hidden Scar Nipple Sparing Mastectomy is a safe approach that can be used in patients seeking a prophylactic mastectomy (a mastectomy that is performed even if cancer does not exist – this may be performed if the patient has a family history or carries the BRCA gene), in women with DCIS (non-invasive cancer), or small tumors that do not lie directly beneath the nipple.

Hidden Scar Results

Hidden Scar Mastectomy Results

Explanatory Video

Want more information on Hidden Scar Procedures? Visit breastcancersurgery.com to learn more.

Hidden Scar Mastectomy Technique Chart

PlasmaBlade: Cutting Edge Surgical Technology

If you and your doctor have determined that breast surgery is the right choice for you, it’s important to be aware of advancements in surgical technique as well as innovative medical devices available to your surgeon for the procedure.

The PlasmaBlade™ is a device from Medtronic that is used like a scalpel to dissect tissue during surgery. Unlike a scalpel, it is an electrosurgical tool that delivers radiofrequency (RF) energy, giving your surgeon the ability to control bleeding during the procedure.

Traditional electrosurgical devices that have been used for decades operate at very high temperatures and have been associated with complications following breast surgery, such as wound inflammation. The PlasmaBlade operates at much lower temperatures than traditional devices and is cleared by the FDA for use specifically in plastic and reconstructive procedures.

Ask your doctor about the PlasmaBlade, and whether or not it will be used in your case.

PlasmBlade