Breast surgery

Our Consultant Breast Surgeons offer a range of breast surgeries to conserve, remove, reconstruct or enhance your breast or breasts.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK and can affect women of any age. Treatment for breast cancer can affect the shape and size of the breasts, which can sometimes change your general health and physical appearance.

Breast surgery may be carried out for a number of reasons:

Whether you are unhappy with the size or shape of your breasts, or you have been diagnosed with breast cancer and have been advised that you require surgery, we are here to help you. Our highly experienced Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons can provide you with superb care and would be delighted to meet with you to discuss your treatment options.

As the largest private hospital in the country outside London, we offer an exceptional range of breast surgery options. Breast surgery is carried out by dedicated breast surgeons, who will provide you with an exceptional level of expertise and experience.

Breast surgery may be done to conserve, remove, reconstruct or enhance the breast.

Breast conserving surgery we offer includes:

Lumpectomy – surgery to remove abnormal tissue from your breast;
Excision – if a part of your breast is found to contain cancer cells, it needs to be removed, and
Oncoplastic surgery – if a large amount of cancerous tissue has been removed from your breast, oncoplastic surgery can reshape and remodel the remaining tissue.

Breast removal surgery we offer includes:

Mastectomy – removal of all your breast tissue. This procedure is often followed by breast reconstruction surgery (see below), and
Lymph node removal – if cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes in your armpit, removal of these nodes can reduce additional problems developing in the future.

Breast reconstruction surgery we offer includes:

Reconstruction with implant – a silicone implant is positioned under your skin to re-create the shape of the breast;
Nipple reconstruction – if your nipple has been removed, an artificial one can be constructed by folding the skin, and
Fat transfer – this happens when your fat is taken from another part of your body (the trunk or thighs) and injected to increase the volume in the affected area of your breast.

Cosmetic breast surgery we offer includes:

Breast enlargement (augmentation) – silicone implants behind your breast tissue can increase the volume of your breast;
Breast reduction (women) – if you have large breasts and they are causing problems like a sore back and postural problems, this operation can be done to reduce their size and improve the shape of your breasts;
Breast reduction (men) – larger breasts in men can be reduced by a combination of liposuction and surgical removal (excision) of excess breast tissue;
Breast uplift – if you are happy with the size of your breasts but not with the shape, a breast uplift can reshape them to give a more pleasing appearance;
Breast asymmetry surgery – if you have unevenly sized or shaped breasts, a combination of the operations above can be done to match them to one another more closely;
Fat grafting – fat is taken from another part of the body and injected around the breast to change its shape, and
Revision breast surgery – over time, the results from previous breast surgery could lead to changes in your breast. But revision surgery can correct or improve the appearance of your breasts once more.

We can also provide risk-reducing breast surgery for women identified as being at higher risk of developing breast cancer. Close monitoring can be helpful to help detect possible breast cancer at the earliest stage, but some people will choose to have preventative surgery.

Our Consultants can help with all types of breast problems, from breast cancer concerns, post-cancer treatment or cosmetic concerns.

Your Consultant will talk you through any suitable treatment options, making sure you have the information you need to make an informed decision about whether to have surgery.

Before going ahead with any surgery, it is important you have time to consider all the options available to you. For this reason, we can arrange a second appointment for you at least two weeks from your first one.

At The Alexandra Hospital, you will always see the same Consultant, and they will be the one who carries out your surgery. This ensures excellent continuity of care at every stage of your treatment.

Unlike many other medical specialties, most people will not need any imaging or diagnostic scans. However, sometimes this may be necessary. For example, if you are experiencing a problem from a previous breast implant, we may need to arrange a scan to determine the extent of the problem before treatment can be planned. Our comprehensive imaging facilities include X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound, so we can arrange any of these for you if required.

While a number of our patients are from Manchester and the surrounding areas, others travel from further afield to benefit from the expertise of our leading Consultants. We regularly see people from Yorkshire, Derbyshire and The Lake District. We also welcome international visitors for treatment.

When you choose The Alexandra Hospital, you will benefit from:

Assessments ASAP – We have some of the most experienced Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons in the country and can arrange an appointment for you with them quickly. Our one-stop breast clinics provide an extremely streamlined service, with expert examination and investigation including ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy.
Personalised care – Any breast surgery, whether for cancer, reconstructive or cosmetic reasons, needs to be tailored to your specific requirements and what will give you the best end result. Your Consultant will carefully plan your treatment to ensure you see the best result possible.
Flexible appointments – It is very easy to arrange an appointment with an experienced Consultant at a time that is most convenient to you. For your convenience, we also offer evening and weekends appointments.
A Multidisciplinary Approach – Our Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons work closely with colleagues in other fields, like oncology and dermatology. With over 600 Consultants working in the hospital as well as a wider team of healthcare professionals, you will always see the most appropriate person for your needs.
Location - With excellent road access, we are exceptionally easy to travel to. Our 440-space car park means you won’t have to worry about where to park when you arrive, giving you one less thing to have to think about.