In our world of quick and easy we often lose sight of the seriousness of medical procedures specifically surgery. Wanda Sykes recently shared with the Ellen show that she had undergone a double mastectomy following a routine breast reduction surgery. According to Sykes it was during this surgery that they discovered pre-cancerous cells in her breast tissue that was removed. Sykes elected for a double masectomy in hopes of preventing breast cancer later in life. Dr. Kim performs breast reduction surgery and explains to his patients that the procedure is not routine. Breast reduction takes about three hours to perform and Dr. Kim is careful to use his artistic skill and experience to create the best possible shape and breast size for the patient. It is important for patients to understand that the breast tissue that is removed is sent to pathology as a precautionary measure. Patients should follow all breast health screening guidelines after surgery. Wanda Sykes situation is not typical and the path she chose is not commonly chosen. According to KTLA in Sykes’ case, she told DeGeneres that she didn’t want to take any chances, especially since cancer runs on her mother’s side of the family. Apparently, she did not reveal whether she has a mutation in her BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which increases a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer from 12% to about 60%.
“I had both breasts removed, because now I have zero chance of having breast cancer,” she told DeGeneres.
Well, not exactly. A double mastectomy certainly reduces one’s risk of breast cancer, but it doesn’t actually eliminate it, according to theMayo Clinic.