There are many reasons why a woman might need breast surgery.

One reason might be because you feel a mass during a self-exam. Or a mass or abnormality is detected on imaging or ultrasound during your mammogram, according to Sirinya Prasertvit, M.D., a breast surgeon at CHI St. Vincent.

“Just from seeing an abnormality, we don’t know what that is. So sometimes breast surgery is removing those areas so we can really get the answer as to what is going on with you,” says Dr. Prasertvit. “Other times surgery would be needed because you have been diagnosed with breast cancer. And that may mean removing the area that is abnormal or removing the entire breast.”

Plastic surgery is sometimes part of the surgical procedure, so Dr. Prasertvit works with a plastic surgeon ensure the best outcome cosmetically and medically for each patient.

Learn more about breast health services at CHI St. Vincent.