General Risks & Complications

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First and foremost there could be an allergic reaction to the anesthetic. General is considered to be more risky yet any anesthetic could bring on a negative reaction. Please read our anesthesia section for a full disclosure of the inherent risks of undergoing anesthesia. Negative reactions to medications may also be an issue so watch for sudden rashes, difficulty breathing, increased or decreased heart rate, hives, wheezing, anxiety, fainting, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, etc.

Medications which may commonly cause an allergic reaction include anticonvulsants, barbiturates, penicillin or other antibiotics, Novocain, Xylocaine, sulfa drugs, and some pain medications.

Loss of Sensitivity or Numbness
Loss of sensitivity is common, although temporary. Nerve endings are severed during this surgery, so you must be patient until they regenerate and sensations begin to return. This can tale several months, however permanent sensation loss in the areola (nipple) area or breasts, in general, can and may happen.

Scarring Irregularities
While scars are going to be a reality, there is also a risk of hypertrophic scar tissue, keloids or inner scar tissue. If you smoke or have a history of abnormal collagen formation or scarring, you may have irregular scarring. A regimen of Steri-Strips directly post-op, switching over to scar gels and Silicone Gel Sheeting after suture removal.

Wound Separation
The separation of the wound edges may be an issue in some cases. If this occurs, keep the area very clean and contact your surgeon immediately. Revision surgeries are not always necessary but can be in some cases. Wet bandages can keep wound edges moist and encourage collagenation and wound binding. If this is not the case, an additional surgery to either excise the wound edges or score thee edges and resuture the incision is possible. Regardless of the method needed to close the wounds, the healing process will take longer for a patient with separation than it would with a patient with normal wound healing.

Asymmetry
There may be asymmetry. Although your surgeon will attempt to make your breasts as even in volume and height as possible, the body is not made of modeling clay. The body also heals differently from patient to patient. However, this does not in anyway excuse a surgeon from doing poor work. Please be sure to view as many before and afters photographs as you can during your initial consultation.

Hyperpigmentations Or Permanent Bruising
Permanent hyper-pigmentation (permanent dark spots) from the bruising are a risk. Hyperpigmentation should subside in a matter of a few weeks but may stay for longer than expected. Do not get discouraged as there are treatments for this rare complication. Intense Pulsed Light treatments can break up the residual blood in the bruise and allow it to be resorbed by the body. Simple applications or warm compresses after you're healed can assist in the dilation of the blood vessels and the resorption of the blood.

Blood Loss
Intraoperative and post-operative blood loss is a rare complications which will require immediate medical attention. In very rare cases, blood transfusions may be necessary. Your surgeon will instruct that you cease taking any anti-coagulants which may include aspirin and aspirin-containing medications, vitamin E, garlic tablets and more.Hematoma & Seroma
Any sudden change in contour, or color should be reported immediately. A hematoma is a collection of clotting or clotted blood in a body cavity which can cause pain, scar tissue, infection and more. A seroma is a collection of the watery portion of the blood in a body cavity or space. A seroma can also cause pain and scar tissue.

Fat & Tissue Necrosis
There are more risks with this operation due to the fat and its surrounding tissues becoming necrotic (dead tissue). If the fat becomes necrotic from lack of blood supply, the fat tends to turn orange-ish clear and drain from the incision, however it can spread and worsen. If the tissue becomes necrotic, immediate treatment is necessary! You must have the tissue removed before it spreads, a major infection develops, or possibly causes gangrene.

Necrosis of the breast tissue, breast envelope and or incision line is very rare but there are increased risks in those with compromised wound healing abilities, history of smoking, circulatory problems, and diabetes. The chances of necrosis are also increased after radioactive/chemotherapy treatment, or have temperatetherapy or cryotherapy post-operatively.

If anything happens regarding tissue necrosis or compromised vascularity please research Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) it could save your breasts AND your life.

Infection
Infections usually show symptoms within the first few days. Some possible infections and a more common one being Staphylococcus, or simply Staph. A more severe one is Methyl Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. This strain is a Methycillin-resistant bug, but is not considered a "super bug" and is usually sensitive to at east 3 types of antibiotics. In itself it is very rare, much less with BA.

Be sure your thoroughly wash the breast and torso area with an anti-bacterial soap such as Hibiclens or Anti-bacterial Dial for a few days before surgery. Patients are often told to wash their bodies thoroughly with these anti-bacterial soaps up to three days beforehand although some surgeons require that you do so only the night before and the morning of. This precaution may assist in ridding the immediate area of Staph which naturally occurs on the skin. Your surgeon or the OR staff will also scrub you with a Betadine solution as well, right before your incision is made.

Signs of infection usually include redness, severe swelling, discharge, foul smell, severe pain which develops several days after your surgery and does not improve, intense heat of the area, a fever over 100.5º F.
Burns From Ultrasound-assisted Liposuction
With the ultrasonic technique, patients have been known to receive actual burns from the ultrasonic technique. The fat is actually melted within the body by 'exciting' the fat molecules with high frequency radio waves and is suctioned out.

Pulmonary Thromboemboli
Another risk of breast reduction is pulmonary Thromboemboli, although not as high of a risk as it is with liposuction-assisted reductions or when liposuction is performed in combination with breast reduction. A thromboebolus is a blood clot and this blood clot can break free and travel to the lungs resulting in pulmonary Thromboemboli. This can put a patient into adult breathing distress and subsequently into cardiac arrest or coma -- leading to the loss of oxygen rich blood to the brain. Pulmonary Thromboemboli can happen within three (3) weeks of the surgery but will most likely show symptoms of shortness of breath and fatigue within the first 72 hours. However, pulmonary Thromboemboli can occur suddenly, without warning. Most patients with P.E. collapse and begin rapid deterioration after attempting to climb a flight of stairs.

General Dissatisfaction
Also, there are the risks of the results just not living up to what you expected. Scars will be a definite issue and you must take this into account beforehand. They will also appear worse before they get better so prepare yourself. Patience and scar products can help.

Having too much tissue removed may leave you with smaller breasts than you would like. Be sure that you communicate your desired post-operative cup size to your surgeon. However, if insurance is to cover the operation, a certain amount of tissue must be removed to qualify. Ask your surgeon how much tissue is required and double check with your insurance. Regardless, balance may the last thing on your mind before surgery, as long as your back stops hurting and your bras stop digging into your shoulders. Think about the long term.

[aia44]

Thanks for that information about risks. I didn't know about all of them, especially blood loss. That one surprised me.