Mr Sharma and his excellent team will ensure all appropriate tests are performed prior to surgery and that measures are taken during surgery to minimise your risk of developing any complications.
In the majority of cases this operation is carried out very successfully with good cosmetic results, however as with any surgical procedure there is a small chance of side effects or complications. This is a list of potential complications that you need to be aware of:
- Bleeding You may have excessive bleeding from within the breast envelope, which may result in a collection of blood (haematoma) beneath the wound site. If this occurs you could experience excessive pain and swelling in the breast tissue. The collected blood may need to be removed in the operating theatre; this may necessitate another operation.
- Wound infection There is a risk of wound infection, which can occur at any time following surgery. Symptoms of infection may include increased swelling, redness, fluid leakage, which may smell offensive, and increased pain at the site of the operation. If your wound becomes infected you may need treatment with antibiotics, occasionally this may mean admission to hospital for antibiotics to be given through a drip. After a wound infection, healing may be delayed and you may need dressings for a longer period than normal.
- Wound breakdown Wound breakdown may occasionally occur following surgery. It may happen if the stitch line does not heal properly and the wound may breakdown or gape. If this happens you will require dressings for a longer period of time; rarely, a further operation may be needed. After wound breakdown your scar may not have as good a cosmetic result than if your wound had healed without problems.
- Scarring You will have permanent, visible scars on your skin. Scars tend to improve over a period of 18 months following surgery. In some people, for unknown reasons, scars can become raised, red and lumpy; unfortunately this is largely beyond surgical control. The risk of this occurring on the breast is greater if you have already developed thickened scars following accidents or operations elsewhere. The way a scar develops depends as much on how your body heals as it does on your surgeon’s skills. Mr Sharma has been trained in a technique of minimal scar suturing to help achieve the best scars for his patients. He also has a regimen of scar management that he advises all his patients to follow to achieve the best results.
- Difference in size or shape of one breast compared to the other (asymmetry) After mastopexy, some degree of asymmetry of shape and size of the breast and of the scarring may be evident. It is not always possible to produce a natural cleavage or look and it is difficult to predict exactly how your breasts will look after the operation. Most women’s breasts are a different shape and size prior to surgery. Sometimes a mastopexy/uplift can make this difference more obvious.
- Nipple and skin sensation You may have reduced or permanent loss of sensation to your nipple or breast skin after this operation. Hypersensitivity may occur to the nipple areola, which maybe self-limiting.
- Loss of skin including the nipple This is a rare complication. However, even in the best surgeon’s hands this can happen as the operation involves repositioning of the nipple and breast tissues and sometimes the blood supply to these structures can be compromised. The risk is higher if you smoke, are overweight, have very large or droopy breasts or have other medical conditions such as diabetes.
- Reduced ability to breast feed In a mastopexy the repositioning of the nipple and reshaping of the breast tissue can result in the milk ducts being damaged or removed. This may reduce your ability to breast feed in the future.
- Developing a lump or Fat Necrosis It is common to get lumps in your breast caused by minor damage to areas of fat during the operation. These can become firm and swollen. Usually they tend to shrink over months but sometimes scar tissue forms around them and a hard lump is felt. This can be alarming but is usually reassuringly clear on an ultrasound scan differentiating it from breast cancer. You will then need to learn to recognise what this lumps feels like so you do not confuse it with breast cancer.
The following possible complications are associated with your general anaesthetic and surgery:
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) This is a blood clot that arises in the deep veins of the leg or pelvis. A deep vein thrombosis can happen if your mobility is restricted or you are inactive for a time following your operation. You may be given injections that help to prevent this from happening. You can reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis by wearing the elastic stockings supplied, during and after your operation and moving your legs about whilst you are in bed. Getting up and walking as soon as you are well enough may also reduce the risk of a DVT.
- Chest infection A chest infection can occur following any general anaesthetic. You can reduce the risk of this happening by taking regular deep breaths following surgery and getting up and sitting out of bed as soon as you are well enough. If you smoke you can reduce the risk of a chest infection by stopping smoking for at least a month prior to your operation.
