Breast Cancer Surgery

Surgical oncologists, who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, remove tumors from the breasts and lymph nodes.

Studies show that women treated by breast surgeons for breast cancer have better outcomes. At the Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center Breast Care Center, our breast surgeons are the most experienced in the area.

Our breast surgeons will discuss your best surgical treatment option with you, as well as your personal concerns and preferences.

Types of Breast Cancer Surgeries

Lumpectomies (Breast Conserving Surgery). A lumpectomy is the removal of the affected breast tissue, as well as some tissue around the tumor, without damaging the rest of the breast. Your breast will be smaller after the surgery, but our plastic surgeons can use surgical techniques to restore the size and symmetry of your breast. Read an article from our health library about lumpectomy.

Mastectomy. A mastectomy is the surgical removal of the breast. This type of breast cancer surgery may be recommended if you have more than one tumor, if the tumor is very large, or if you have a genetic risk of breast cancer, and have elected risk reduction surgery. The advances in plastic surgery have made it possible to have a mastectomy and restore the look of your breasts immediately (immediate reconstruction) or following breast cancer treatment (delayed breast reconstruction). Read an article from our health library about total mastectomy.

Mastectomy With or Without Reconstruction. During a mastectomy, your breast surgeon will remove the breast, but can perform several procedures to maintain the integrity of your breast tissue for an immediate, staged or delayed reconstruction. This includes nipple sparing mastectomies and skin sparing mastectomies, so that your own nipples or skin is used during the breast reconstruction. Learn more about reconstructive breast surgery.

Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping. The sentinel lymph node is the lymph node most likely to be affected by cancer cells travelling through the lymphatic system from the breast. Your breast surgeon can determine this sentinel lymph node by using a mapping procedure. Knowing which lymph nodes are affected can help determine how many to remove.

There are 2 ways to map the sentinel lymph node—using a radioisotope or blue dye. During the breast cancer surgery, your breast surgeon will follow the path of the radioisotope or blue dye into your lymph nodes and determine which ones are affected. If there is cancer found in the affected lymph nodes, your breast surgeon will probably perform a lymph node dissection, to remove any affected lymph nodes. Your breast surgeon will discuss the best breast surgery for you, as well as what you should expect for post-recovery.

Providers

Support Services

Cancer is a complex journey for patients and families. Before cancer, life had challenges; now they may seem insurmountable. The anxieties about health, keeping up with daily activities and maintaining important, critical relationship are common for all cancer patients and their families.

Our patient and family support services are here to help our patients so they know they have someone experienced to count on when they need it. We are here to make a difference—not just in your cancer outcome—but in the moments along the way, so you and your loved ones know there is always someone to help.

For an appointment with one of our counselors in the Cancer Patient Support Program or the Psychosocial Oncology Program, please call 336-713-6954.

For questions about the Cancer Survivorship Clinic, please call 336-713-1736.

Insurance

Insurance Accepted

This chart is a list of the most common health insurance plans we accept. This list is subject to change. Please check your individual plan to confirm their participation and the coverage allowed.

Due to the different physician groups and hospitals within the Wake Forest Baptist system, physician services and hospital services are billed separately. Please remember that health insurance coverage varies, so some services may not be covered.

If you don’t see your plan or you have questions, please call our Customer Service Center at 877-938-7497. We will do our best to work with you and your plan.

Key

WFUHS - Wake Forest University Health Sciences (professional services)
NCBH - North Carolina Baptist Hospital
LMC - Lexington Medical Center
CHC - Cornerstone Healthcare
Wilkes - Wilkes Regional Medical Center
HPR- High Point Regional
N/A - Not applicable to services provided at facility and/or CHC
NC -Not Contracted, very low to no volume for facility and/or CHC

Wake Forest Baptist Health Managed Care/MA Contracts - January2022

AETNA CONNECTED ACA/Exchange: Accepted at all locations

AETNA (PPO & HMO): Accepted at all locations

AETNA MEDICARE: Accepted at all locations

AETNA WHOLE HEALTH: Accepted at all locations

ALIGNMENT HEALTHCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE: Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH, Davie, LMC, CHC and Wilkes (not applicable to services provided at High Point)

AMBETTER OF NC: Accepted at all locations

AMERIHEALTH CARITAS NEXT ACA/Exchange: Accepted at all locations

APEX MEDICARE ADVANTAGE: Accepted at all locations

BCBSNC (PPO & HMO): Accepted at all locations

BCBS HIGH PERFORMANCE (NATIONAL NETWORK): Accepted at all locations

BLUE LOCAL WITH ATRIUM HEALTH: Accepted at all locations

BLUE MEDICARE: Accepted at all locations

BLUE VALUE: Accepted at all locations

CAROLINA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH and CHC (not applicable to services provided at Davie, LMC, Wilkes and High Point)

CIGNA: Accepted at all locations

CIGNA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: Accepted at NCBH and High Point (not applicable to services provided at Davie, LMC, CHC and Wilkes)

CIGNA HEALTHSPRING MEDICARE ADVANTAGE: Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH, Davie, LMC, CHC and High Point (not applicable to services provided at Wilkes)

CIGNA LIFESOURCE (TRANSPLANTS): Accepted at WFUHS and NCBH (not applicable to services provided at Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

COVENTRY/WELLPATH: Accepted at all locations

CRESCENT PPO (ASHEVILLE): Accepted at WFUHS and NCBH (not contracted, very low to no volume for Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

DEVOTED HEALTH: Accepted at all locations

DIRECT NET: Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH, Davie, LMC, Wilkes and High Point (not contracted, very low to no volume for CHC)

FIRST HEALTH (COVENTRY): Accepted at all locations

FIRSTCAROLINACARE (PINEHURST, NC): Accepted at NCBH (not contracted, very low to no volume for WFUHS, Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

GATEWAY HEALTH ALLIANCE (VIRGINIA): Accepted at WFUHS and NCBH (not contracted, very low to no volume for Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

GOLDEN RULE INS (UNITED): Accepted at all locations

HEALTHGRAM (formerly PRIMARY PHYSICIAN CARE): Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH and LMC (not contracted, very low to no volume for Davie, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

HEALTHTEAM ADVANTAGE: Accepted at all locations

HUMANA CHOICECARE: Accepted at all locations

HUMANA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE: Accepted at all locations

LIBERTY ADVANTAGE (MEDICARE ADVANTAGE): Accepted at WFUHS and NCBH (not applicable to services provided at Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

MAGELLAN (BEHAVIORAL HEALTH): Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH and CHC (not applicable to services provided at Davie, LMC, Wilkes and High Point)

MEDCOST: Accepted at all locations

MEDCOST ULTRA: Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH, Davie, LMC, Wilkes and High Point (not applicable at CHC)

OPTUMHEALTH (TRANSPLANTS - APPLICABLE TO NCBH/WFUHS ONLY): Accepted at WFUHS and NCBH (not applicable to services provided at Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

PREFERRED CARE OF VA INC: Accepted at WFUHS and NCBH (not contracted, very low to no volume for Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

SOUTHERN HEALTH SVCS (COVENTRY-PPO ONLY): Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH, Davie and CHC (not contracted, very low to no volume for LMC, Wilkes and High Point)

TWIN COUNTY (VIRGINIA): Accepted at WFUHS and NCBH (not contracted, very low to no volume for Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: Accepted at WFUHS, NCBH, CHC and High Point (not applicable to services provided at Davie, LMC and Wilkes)

UNITED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM (WFUHS ONLY): Accepted at WFUHS (not applicable for services provided at NCBH, Davie, LMC, CHC, Wilkes and High Point)

UNITED HEALTHCARE: Accepted at all locations

UNITED HEALTHCARE ESSENTIALS ACA/EXCHANGE: Accepted at all locations

UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE: Accepted at all locations

VA CCN: Accepted at all locations

WELLCARE: Accepted at all locations

WELLPATH (COVENTRY): Accepted at all locations

Key

WFUHS - Wake Forest University Health Sciences (professional services)
NCBH - North Carolina Baptist Hospital
LMC - Lexington Medical Center
CHC - Cornerstone Healthcare
Wilkes - Wilkes Regional Medical Center
HPR- High Point Regional
N/A - Not applicable to services provided at facility and/or CHC
NC - Not Contracted, very low to no volume for facility and/or CHC

Referring Physicians

At Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist we understand the importance of referrals. Our Physician Liaisons partner with referring physicians in our community and beyond to provide information on our physicians and clinical services. Full list of new physicians.

Contact the Physician Liaisons

Research and Clinical Trials

As part of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, our patients have access to clinical trials—investigational treatments that help advance our understanding of fighting and curing cancer. Many of these trials are only available right here at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, and our physicians and staff will help you decide if choosing that pathway to treatment is right for you.

You may also want to visit the Breast Cancer Center of Excellence, to learn more about our groundbreaking research.

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