Basic Oncoplastic Surgery for Breast Conservation: Tips and Techniques

The demand for oncoplastic breast surgery has increased significantly in recent years. However, these procedures are often not taught in standard training for breast surgeons, and a simple guide for surgeons to start performing basic oncoplastic breast surgery techniques is not available.

The basic concepts of oncoplastic breast surgery and the tools needed prior to starting these types of procedures are discussed, and the procedure, in a stepwise pattern, for the building blocks of oncoplastic techniques is outlined.

The importance of oncoplastics from a quality of life and oncologic standpoint are described. Key concepts are defined and the decision on when it is necessary to consult reconstructive plastic surgery is delineated. The basic necessities for oncoplastic breast surgery, including patient photographs, important intraoperative tools, anatomic knowledge, and patient selection, are discussed. The building block procedures include aesthetic scar placement, parenchymal closure, deepithelialization, and donut therapeutic mastopexy, which are described in detail.

Oncoplastic breast surgery techniques and clinical reasoning build on one another, allowing a surgeon to move from level I to level II oncoplastic procedures. Even the most basic level I breast conservation oncoplastic skills can improve a patient's cosmetic outcome and are easily learned by a general surgeon.