In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, we will be posting daily informative videos presented association with Beth Israel Medical Center and Dr. Susan K. Boolbol for our series "31 Days of Breast Cancer Discovery". Each day, Dr. Boolbol, who is the Chief of Breast Cancer Surgery at the medical center, will talk about breast cancer and share tips on to how to reduce the risk and what steps should be taken if you are diagnosed with it. 

Day 24's Topic is the "expectations of surgery". Dr. Boolbol explains that Some women get a bilateral mastectomy, which is when both breasts are removed as a preventive technique. A prophylactic mastectomy is when they remove the breast that does not have cancer as well to reduce the risk. She stresses that this decision should not be made out of fear and that every choice is specific to the patient and should be discussed with a doctor. At the Beth Israel Medical Center, women meet with the Head of Cancer Supportive services to make the correct surgical decision. 

For  information, contact the Beth Israel Medical Center at 212-884-6231 or visit them online at http://www.wehealny.org.