Breast cancer affects almost 200,000 new patients annually. To avoid being part of this statistic, some high risk women opt to have one or both of their breasts surgically removed in a procedure called preventative mastectomy, or prophylactic mastectomy. This can mean removing the total breast and nipple, called a total mastectomy. Or it might entail eradicating the breast tissue, but leaving the nipple intact, as in subcutaneous mastectomy. Does preventative mastectomy have its drawbacks? Well, the biggest downside is that breast tissue in the armpit, along the collarbone, and on the upper part of the chest wall could possibly be missed in mastectomy. It's impossible to remove every single cell, so a chance that cancer will still develop in the breast remains. And as with all surgery, complications like bleeding and infection may occur. Understandably, a change in body image and loss of normal breast function can wreak havoc on self esteem and confidence. Knowing this, most mastectomy patients choose to have their breasts reconstructed. This plastic surgery involves inserting an implant filled with silicone or saline under the skin and muscle. Another procedure, called tissue flap reconstruction, creates breasts using skin, fat, and muscle from other spots on the body. Does preventative mastectomy really help prevent breast cancer? The cautious answer is "Yes." Research shows risk can be lowered by about 90%. However, this number is only accurate for women at a high risk in the first place. And what does high risk look like? For starters, it's having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer. It can also mean having a rare mutation in one of the genes associated with breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2. These mutations account for 5 to 10% of breast cancer cases. Being high risk also entails having cancerous cells in situ, which means they have not moved from their original location. This was the case for actress Christina Applegate, who had both breast cancer AND the cancer-causing genetic mutation in her body. Rather than taking a "wait and see" approach, Applegate elected to have a double mastectomy, removing her healthy breast as well as the diseased one. Applegate is reportedly happy with her decision, and a National Cancer Institute study finds that 86% of preventative mastectomy patients are happy too. The decision to remove healthy breast tissue is not a small one. If you're concerned about risk, consult your physician, and explore the breast cancer series on this site for more information.