BCS may be done on an outpatient basis. This means you go home the same day. Or it may be done as part of a hospital stay. Procedures may vary depending on your condition and your healthcare provider’s practices.

You will be asked to remove clothing and given a gown to wear.

An IV (intravenous) line may be started in your arm or hand.

You will lie on your back on the operating table.

BCS may be done under local anesthesia with IV sedation. This means the area being operated on will be numbed. You will get medicine (sedative) in your IV before the procedure to help you relax. You will likely stay awake, but feel sleepy, during the surgery.

BCS may also be done under general anesthesia. You will be given medicine to put you into a deep sleep during surgery.

Your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and blood oxygen level will be checked during surgery.

The skin over the surgical site will be cleaned with a sterile solution.

A small cut (incision) will be made over or near the breast tumor. The healthcare provider will remove the lump or abnormality. They will also remove some of the normal breast tissue around it.

If the lymph nodes under your armpit are to be removed, a separate surgical cut may be made in or near the armpit.

Breast tissue and any other tissues that are removed will be sent to the lab for examination by a pathologist.

A drainage tube may be inserted into the affected area.

The skin will be closed with stitches or adhesive strips.

A sterile bandage or dressing will be placed over the site.