Complications of Breast Surgery

This chapter focuses on various complications associated with diagnostic and therapeutic breast interventions. Obtaining tissue biopsy is the key to proceeding with any abnormal clinical or radiological findings when it comes to breast lesions. Regardless of the modality used to obtain tissue diagnosis, the complications associated with the aforementioned procedures are generally rare and associated with low morbidity. Age, volume of breast tissue excised, number of lymph nodes excised, tumor location, stage of disease, and adjunctive therapy were significant risk factors for such complications. Biopsy of the treated breast is associated with an increased risk of wound complications and is detrimental to cosmesis. On rare occasions, intractable wound complications, biopsy-induced cosmetic deterioration, or the inability to evaluate the breast for disease can necessitate total mastectomy in the absence of recurrent cancer. The number of potential complications and the frequency with which they occur make tissue expansion and implant reconstruction less attractive than other procedures.