There are two main types of mastectomy surgery: a total mastectomy, which is also known as a simple mastectomy, and a modified radical mastectomy. The type you have depends on your diagnosis.

In a total or simple mastectomy, the surgeon removes the entire breast and the lining of the chest muscle, but no other nearby tissue. Lymph nodes may or may not be removed, depending on the situation. For some women, much of the breast skin may be left intact for breast reconstruction, which is called a skin-sparing mastectomy. The nipple may also be left intact, which is a nipple-sparing mastectomy.

A total mastectomy may be used to treat ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, Paget disease of the breast with underlying DCIS, invasive breast cancer, a breast cancer recurrence or it can be used to lower the chance of getting breast cancer for those at high risk.

In a modified radical mastectomy, the surgeon removes the entire breast, the lining of the chest muscles and the lymph nodes in the underarm area, or the axillary lymph nodes. This procedure may be used to treat invasive breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer or Paget disease of the breast with underlying invasive breast cancer.

A mastectomy is done under general anesthesia, meaning you’re asleep during the surgery. Most people stay in the hospital overnight.

Many people who have a mastectomy don’t need radiation therapy. But in some cases, it may be recommended to treat areas like the chest wall or nearby lymph nodes. To learn more, see the Radiation Therapy chapter of this tool.

For more information about mastectomy surgery, visit the Mastectomy page in the Treatment section of komen.org.