Postoperative Complications from Breast and Axillary Surgery

Although surgery of the breast and axilla is generally well-tolerated by patients, the breast surgeon recognizes that complications can occur even when operating with experience on the lowest risk patients. The operative repertoire ranges from breast conserving surgery, mastectomy (including skin-sparing and nipple-sparing types), to modified radical mastectomy, with each procedure carrying a different expected surgical morbidity. Patients and families who are fully informed of potential complications before their operation describe greater trust in their surgeon and are better able to co-manage complications with the surgical team, when they occur.