Service
Breast fibroadenoma removal
A fibroadenoma is a benign lump in the breast, made up of glandular and connective tissue. It is firm, smooth and moves under the fingers, and it most often occurs in younger women. It is removed in a short procedure under local anaesthesia, and the removed lump is always sent for histopathological analysis.
What concerns does it address?
The procedure is an option when you have felt a lump in your breast and the examination and ultrasound show a fibroadenoma, or when the findings do not show clearly enough what it is. Removal is also considered when the lump is growing, when it hurts or bothers you, when it is large or changes the shape of the breast, and when you find it hard to live with the thought that it is there. A fibroadenoma that is stable and whose diagnosis is certain does not have to be removed; it can be monitored with ultrasound. You decide this together with the doctor.
Why does a fibroadenoma develop?
A fibroadenoma develops from the glandular tissue of the breast, which responds to female hormones. That is why it most often appears between puberty and menopause, can grow during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and often shrinks after menopause. It does not develop because of anything you did or failed to do. As a rule, it does not turn into a malignant change.
When should you not wait to be examined?
Every new lump in the breast should be examined first, however harmless it seems, because by touch it cannot be told apart from other changes. The examination should not be put off if the lump is hard and irregular in shape, if it is growing quickly, if the skin over it pulls in or changes, if blood or clear discharge comes from the nipple, or if there is an enlarged lump in the armpit. These signs do not necessarily mean anything serious, but they call for an examination before anything else.
How is it removed?
Before the procedure you need a breast ultrasound; women over 40 and women with breast cancer in the family also need a mammogram no more than a year old. The procedure is done under local anaesthesia: the breast is numbed, the whole lump is removed through a small incision together with a little of the surrounding tissue, and the wound is stitched. Where the incision is placed is agreed at the examination, according to the position of the lump. If you have more than one lump, the examination assesses how many it is sensible to remove in the same procedure.
The removed lump is sent for histopathological analysis. The result is the only way to know for certain what it is. When the result arrives, the doctor explains it to you and you agree together whether anything further is needed.
When is the procedure not suitable?
A lump that cannot be reliably told apart from other changes is first investigated further, for example with a needle biopsy, and only then is removal decided. A fibroadenoma that has been confirmed and is stable does not have to be removed.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Expected — swelling, bruising and tenderness of the breast in the first days, a scar that stays red for months.
Occasional — bleeding and blood collecting under the skin, wound infection, temporarily reduced skin sensation next to the scar, a slight dent where a large lump was.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Specialist and team
Specialty: general surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
Frequently asked questions
Is a fibroadenoma dangerous? No. A fibroadenoma is benign: it is not cancer and does not spread into the surrounding tissue. Before a lump is called a fibroadenoma, an ultrasound is needed, and a sample if necessary, because by touch it cannot be told apart from other changes in the breast.
Does a fibroadenoma have to be removed? No. A fibroadenoma that has been confirmed, is not growing and does not bother you can simply be monitored with ultrasound. Removal makes sense when the lump is growing, hurts or changes the shape of the breast, or when the diagnosis is not completely certain; what suits you is decided at the examination.
Can a fibroadenoma come back? A lump that has been removed completely does not, as a rule, come back in the same place. A new fibroadenoma can develop elsewhere, because breast tissue continues to respond to hormones, and this is not a consequence of the procedure.
Will there be a scar, and will the shape of the breast change? There will be a scar, which matures over six to twelve months; its position is agreed according to where the lump is. With a larger lump, a slight dent may remain where the tissue was removed; this is discussed at the examination, before the procedure.
When does the result arrive? The histopathology result arrives in seven to fourteen days on average. We let you know, and the doctor explains it.
Does the procedure hurt? It is done under local anaesthesia, so most people feel the anaesthetic injection and pressure, not pain. After the procedure the breast is tender for a few days.
Recovery after fibroadenoma removal: what should you watch out for at home? While the wound heals, what helps most is a comfortable bra that keeps the breast still. Heavy use of the arm and exercise are best avoided for about two weeks on average. The stitches are removed after seven to ten days, and the scar matures over six to twelve months and is protected from the sun while it matures. You receive exact instructions when you go home.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.