Concierge breast surgery · UK
Private lumpectomy in the UK, by a consultant breast surgeon.
Breast-conserving surgery removes the cancer and a margin of healthy tissue while keeping the breast. With radiotherapy afterwards, survival matches mastectomy - the decision is about the breast, not about the odds.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A consultant breast surgeon and a real MDT
Breast cancer surgery belongs with a specialist breast surgeon working within a multidisciplinary team - not a general surgeon with an interest.
- 02
Oncoplastic technique where it matters
Removing a tumour without distorting the breast is a skill in itself. We introduce surgeons who offer oncoplastic options rather than defaulting to a simple excision.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What private lumpectomy costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner breast units. Send the imaging and biopsy results and we quote firm figures for the surgery and the treatment that follows it.
In short
A lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy: £7,000–£12,000, usually a day case.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast surgeon consultation | £250–£450 | 45 min | Same visit |
| Triple assessment (imaging + biopsy) | £900–£1,800 | 2–3 hours | 3–7 days |
| Breast MRI | £700–£1,200 | 45 min | 48 hours |
| Lumpectomy + sentinel node biopsy | £7,000–£12,000 | 60–120 min | Day case |
| Oncoplastic lumpectomy (therapeutic mammoplasty) | £10,000–£16,000 | 2–3 hours | 1–2 nights |
| Radiotherapy course | £6,000–£12,000 | 1–3 weeks | Outpatient |
Surgery is only part of the cost - radiotherapy, endocrine therapy and any chemotherapy follow, and cancer benefit caps on insurance policies are frequently reached during that phase rather than at surgery. UK breast cancer care is delivered to a very high standard on the NHS with defined cancer waiting-time targets, and for most women that is the right route. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
Conserving the breast does not mean accepting worse odds.
Long-term trials have shown for decades that lumpectomy with radiotherapy gives survival equal to mastectomy in suitable early breast cancer. The decision turns on tumour size relative to the breast, on radiotherapy, and on what you want - not on the chance of cure.
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Choosing between lumpectomy and mastectomy?
Survival is equivalent in suitable cancers. The real differences are radiotherapy, local recurrence rate, the shape of the breast and how you feel about surveillance.
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Worried about how the breast will look?
Oncoplastic techniques reshape the breast as the tumour is removed. Ask specifically whether they are being offered, because not every surgeon does them.
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Told the margins were not clear?
Around one in five needs a further excision. It is common, it is not a failure, and it does not change your prognosis.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery - what happens, in order.
One breast surgeon from diagnosis through to follow-up, with the oncology and radiotherapy teams coordinated around them rather than referred to separately.
Phase 1 · Before your procedure
Concierge, off-stage for you
Phase 2 · On the day
Admission and theatre
Phase 3 · After
Concierge, back on
- 01
Before
You send us the results
A short, confidential form and your imaging and biopsy reports, receptor status, and any family history or genetic testing.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether further imaging is needed, whether conservation is likely to be offered, and which breast surgeon fits the case.
- 03
Before
Assessment and MDT
Consultation, any additional MRI, and multidisciplinary review agreeing surgery, nodal staging and whether treatment should start with chemotherapy instead.
- 04
On the day
Admission and localisation
For impalpable lesions, a wire or seed is placed under imaging guidance on the morning of surgery, along with tracer injection for the sentinel node.
- 05
On the day
The operation itself
60 to 120 minutes. The tumour is removed with a margin and oriented for pathology, clips are left to guide radiotherapy, and the sentinel nodes are sampled.
- 06
On the day
Home the same day
Most lumpectomies are day cases. You go home with dressings, simple painkillers and a clear plan for when results will be available.
- 07
After
Histology, radiotherapy and follow-up
Results in one to two weeks, radiotherapy starting three to six weeks later, then endocrine or systemic therapy and annual mammography.
Typical end-to-end: 2–4 weeks from enquiry to surgery. Radiotherapy starts 3–6 weeks after.
When it helps
When breast-conserving surgery is the right operation.
The cancers suited to conservation, the ones better treated by mastectomy, and the symptom that needs urgent assessment.
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Early invasive breast cancer
A single tumour small enough relative to the breast to be removed with clear margins and a good cosmetic result. The commonest indication by far.
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Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
Non-invasive disease confined to the ducts. Conservation with radiotherapy is standard where the area is not too extensive.
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After neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Chemotherapy given first can shrink a tumour enough to make conservation possible where mastectomy would otherwise have been needed.
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Large tumour in a large breast
A therapeutic mammoplasty removes the tumour and reshapes the breast in one operation, often with a reduction on the other side for symmetry.
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When mastectomy fits better
Multifocal disease, a large tumour in a small breast, inflammatory cancer, or an inability to have radiotherapy all point away from conservation.
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BRCA and strong family history
A genetic mutation raises the risk of a new cancer in either breast, which changes the calculation towards mastectomy for some women. Genetic testing informs that choice.
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Recurrence after previous conservation
A new cancer in a breast that has already been irradiated usually means mastectomy, since radiotherapy cannot generally be repeated to the same breast.
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Red flag: inflammatory changes, skin involvement
A red, swollen, hot breast with skin thickening, or skin ulceration, needs urgent assessment - inflammatory breast cancer is managed very differently and quickly.
Surgical options
More than one way to conserve a breast.
What each operation involves - and which tumour and breast it suits.
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Wide local excision
The standard lumpectomy - the tumour removed with a surrounding margin of normal tissue, oriented for pathology, with clips left to guide radiotherapy.
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Sentinel lymph node biopsy
The first draining nodes identified with tracer and removed for staging. It has replaced full axillary clearance in node-negative disease and greatly reduces lymphoedema risk.
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Therapeutic mammoplasty
The tumour removed as part of a breast reduction pattern, reshaping the breast at the same time. Excellent for larger tumours in larger breasts, often with symmetrising surgery.
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Volume displacement and local flaps
Local tissue rearrangement or a perforator flap from the chest wall fills the defect, preventing the dent that a simple excision would otherwise leave.
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Oncoplastic excision with clip placement
Careful cavity marking with titanium clips so radiotherapy can be targeted precisely at the site the tumour came from.
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Axillary node clearance
Removal of the axillary nodes where sentinel biopsy shows significant involvement. It carries a higher risk of lymphoedema and is now used more selectively.
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Mastectomy with or without reconstruction
The alternative where conservation is unsuitable. Immediate reconstruction, including implant-based and DIEP flap options, is usually available at the same operation.
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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy first
Not surgery, but a route to it - shrinking the tumour before operating can convert a mastectomy into a lumpectomy and provides useful information about tumour biology.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of breast surgeons, we picked them.
Consultant breast surgeons working within UK breast multidisciplinary teams. Not listed publicly - introductions are made privately, once we understand your imaging and pathology.
Selection criteria
How we choose every breast surgeon in our network.
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Consultant breast surgeons practising exclusively in breast disease, within a full multidisciplinary team
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Oncoplastic techniques offered routinely, including therapeutic mammoplasty and local flaps
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Sentinel node biopsy as standard, with axillary clearance used selectively
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Radiotherapy, oncology and breast care nursing coordinated as one pathway rather than separate referrals
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards - honestly.
Lumpectomy is a well-tolerated day-case operation with a low complication rate. The issues that matter most are margins, the need for radiotherapy, and the long-term appearance of the breast.
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Re-excision for involved margins
Around 15 to 20 per cent of women need a second operation to clear the margins. It is common, expected in a proportion of cases, and does not alter prognosis.
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Radiotherapy is part of the deal
Conservation without radiotherapy roughly triples local recurrence risk. If radiotherapy is not possible - previous chest radiotherapy, some connective tissue diseases - conservation usually is not either.
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Seroma and haematoma
Fluid or blood collecting in the cavity is common, usually settles on its own, and occasionally needs aspiration. It can make the breast feel firm for weeks.
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Wound infection
Affects a small percentage and responds to antibiotics. Risk is higher in smokers, in diabetes and after larger oncoplastic procedures.
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Change in breast shape and size
A dent, asymmetry or firmness at the site is common, and radiotherapy causes further shrinkage and firmness over months. Oncoplastic techniques substantially reduce this.
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Lymphoedema after nodal surgery
Uncommon after sentinel node biopsy at roughly 5 per cent, and considerably higher after full axillary clearance. Early physiotherapy and awareness matter.
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Numbness and nerve sensation
Numbness around the scar, in the upper inner arm after axillary surgery, is common and usually permanent to some degree. It is not dangerous but it is rarely mentioned in advance.
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Local recurrence and surveillance
Recurrence in the treated breast runs at roughly 5 to 10 per cent over ten years with radiotherapy. Annual mammography is what catches it early.
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Red flags after surgery
Fever, spreading redness, a rapidly enlarging or painful swelling, or wound discharge - contact the breast unit the same day.
Reading your histology report
Your histology report in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whether the surgery was a simple wide local excision or a therapeutic mammoplasty, the histology report that follows keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Pathology language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the histology before your review, just ask.
- 01 Header
Indication and pre-operative findings
The imaging and biopsy findings, tumour size on scan, and the multidisciplinary decision that led to conservation rather than mastectomy.
- 02 Technique
What was removed
The excision performed, specimen weight and dimensions, whether oncoplastic reshaping was used, clip placement, and how many sentinel nodes were retrieved.
- 03 Findings
Tumour type, grade and margins
Invasive type and grade, size in millimetres, margin distances, lymphovascular invasion, node status, and the ER, PR and HER2 receptor profile.
- 04 Impression
Adjuvant plan and follow-up
Read this first: whether further surgery is needed, when radiotherapy starts, which systemic treatment is recommended, and the surveillance schedule.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Cover for breast cancer surgery is usually funded when medically indicated, but cancer benefit varies enormously between policies and many cap the total cancer payout - a limit often reached during radiotherapy and systemic therapy rather than at surgery. Symmetrising surgery on the other breast is sometimes excluded as cosmetic. We check your policy wording carefully before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about lumpectomy.
Quick answers on how it compares with mastectomy, margins, radiotherapy, and how the breast looks afterwards.
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Is a lumpectomy as safe as a mastectomy?
For suitable early breast cancer, yes. Long-term randomised trials followed for twenty years and more show equivalent survival between breast-conserving surgery with radiotherapy and mastectomy. Local recurrence in the treated breast is slightly higher with conservation, but that does not translate into worse survival. The choice is genuinely yours to make.
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What does it mean if my margins are not clear?
It means cancer cells reach or come very close to the edge of the tissue removed, so a further excision is needed to be confident everything is out. It happens in roughly 15 to 20 per cent of lumpectomies. It is disappointing rather than dangerous, and it does not change your long-term prognosis.
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How much does private lumpectomy cost in the UK?
A lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy runs £7,000–£12,000, and an oncoplastic therapeutic mammoplasty £10,000–£16,000. Triple assessment beforehand is £900–£1,800 and a radiotherapy course afterwards £6,000–£12,000. Surgery is only part of the total. We confirm firm figures within one working day.
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Do I definitely need radiotherapy afterwards?
In almost all cases, yes. Radiotherapy to the remaining breast reduces local recurrence roughly threefold and is considered an integral part of breast conservation rather than an optional extra. A small number of older women with small, low-risk, hormone-sensitive cancers may reasonably omit it, and that discussion belongs with your oncologist.
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How will my breast look afterwards?
It depends on tumour size relative to breast size and on whether oncoplastic techniques were used. A small excision from a larger breast often leaves very little visible change. A larger excision without reshaping can leave a dent, and radiotherapy causes further firmness and slight shrinkage over the following year. Ask specifically what is planned before surgery.
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What is a sentinel node biopsy?
The first lymph nodes the breast drains to are identified with a radioactive tracer, blue dye or magnetic marker and removed for examination. If they are clear, the rest of the armpit is left alone. It has replaced routine full axillary clearance and reduced lymphoedema rates dramatically.
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How long is recovery?
Most lumpectomies are day cases. Discomfort settles within a week or two, and most people return to desk work in one to two weeks and to full activity by four to six. If nodal surgery was performed, shoulder exercises start early to prevent stiffness. Radiotherapy then follows a few weeks later.
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Will I need chemotherapy too?
That depends on tumour size, grade, node status and receptor profile rather than on which operation you had. Genomic tests such as Oncotype DX are increasingly used in hormone-positive, node-negative disease to identify who genuinely benefits from chemotherapy and who can safely avoid it. Your oncologist decides once histology is complete.
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Can I have a lumpectomy if I carry a BRCA mutation?
It is possible, but the calculation changes. A BRCA mutation substantially raises the risk of a new cancer in either breast over time, so many women in that position choose bilateral mastectomy instead. Genetic counselling before deciding is important, and rushing the surgical decision to accommodate a test result rarely helps.
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When should I contact the unit urgently?
Fever, spreading redness around the wound, a rapidly enlarging or increasingly painful swelling, or discharge from the wound all need same-day contact. Before surgery, a red, swollen, hot breast with skin thickening needs urgent assessment rather than a routine appointment.
Related treatments
Looking for something else?
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Hormone therapy for breast cancer
Endocrine treatment after surgery.
Learn more -
DIEP reconstructive breast surgery
Reconstruction where mastectomy is needed.
Learn more -
Mammography
The imaging that finds most of these cancers.
Learn more -
Correction of breast asymmetry
Symmetrising surgery after treatment.
Learn more