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Discharge After Breast Lift?

I'm four weeks post-op. My breast has been leaking moderately for appprox 3 weeks. Am I lactating, or is this post-op discharge? Should I be worried?

Asked 38 months ago by TW in Fresno CA

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1 month post-op discharge

Discharge or Leaking Requires Evaluation

Nipple discharge after breast surgery is not unusual. Breast surgery can temporarily stimulate lactation and is benign. To be certain that the drainage is innocent and does not require treatment, see your surgeon for an evaluation, as soon as possible.

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Paul C. Zwiebel, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Go back to your treating surgeon for a thorough evaluation and work-up!

At four weeks following a breast lift procedure it is abnormal to be leaking any fluid whatsoever! The potential problems can range from very simple to complex. Do not risk it. I would strongly recommend that you go back to your treating surgeon for a thorough evaluation and work-up.

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD

Denver Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Discharge

There are several questions that will help clarify this matter. Is the discharge from the nipple or from the incisions? Is there redness? What does the discharge look like? Are you having fevers or chills? There are many possibilities. The discharge could be a draining liquifying hematoma or serous collection. This may or may not require treatment (drainage typically). The discharge could represent an infection - however it would be atypical for an infection to be brewing for three weeks... more

Steven H. Williams, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Leaking after Breast Lift needs to be Evaluated by your Surgeon

Anytime that you have leaking from your incision, especially for an extended period of time, then you need to be evaluated by your surgeon. You need to go soon rather than later if you have any pus or fever or chills.

David Shafer, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Discharge following breast lift

Nipple discharge following breast lift surgery may occur and usually resolves spontaneously. Any discharge from the incision(s) needs to be evaluated immediately for possible infection, wound healing problems, or underlying fluid collection.

Olivia Hutchinson, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS

Discharge After Breast Lift

Milk discharge can occur after breast surgery, because the breast ducts, which carry the milk from the glandular tissue to the nipple, are cut and manipulated. This discharge is milky white and has no odor. It comes from the nipple or areola. This drainage will stop on its own. Other types of discharge may come from incision lines or drain sites. They may be wound fluid, tumescent solution, liquefied fat, old blood, or pus. Signs of infection include redness, pain, odor... more

Karen Vaniver, MD

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Call your plastic surgeon for a follow-up.

It is possible to have a small amount of drainage after a breast reduction. The most important factors are where the drainage is coming from and the quality of the drainage. Sometimes patients have a minimal amount of clear or yellowish drainage from a certain point along the incision line. This may be due to the liquefaction of fat underneath the skin. If the drainage proceeds for a long time it may be a symptom of a deeper collection or a deeper problem that your plastic... more

B. Pat Pazmino, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Depends on the type and location of the discharge after Breast Lift

I'm assuming you mean nipple discharge. I have seen patients having milk discharge in the peri-operative time. I would alert your plastic surgeon to it. He will follow it for some time and if needed additional tests might be ordered. If the discharge is from your incisions, you need to show it to your doctor ASAP. Best of luck!

Hisham Seify, MD, PhD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Depends on where the drainage is from

If you drainage is from your incisions, then you should see your surgeon ASAP to discuss treatment options as you very likely have an untreated infection. If the discharge is from the nipple, that can happen sometimes if you have pressure from an implant. Have you discussed this with your surgeon? You may also have fluid collection - seroma - that needs further drainage. The most concerning cause would an untreated infection. I would recommend you discuss this with your surgeon right away.... more

Bahram Ghaderi, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Several underlying factors causing discharge after breast lift

Did you have implants as well? Is this discharge from the nipple or incision? Does it a have an odor? Is it white (pus-like), bloody, clear, or oily? Is the skin black? Do you have a fever or are the wound edges red? All of these may be indicative of the underlying problem and may represent different causes. Generally lactation occurs from the nipple with a clearing whitish drainage with minimal odor and frequently ocurs with placement of implants. Please consult with your physician to... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Depends on what is discharging

You should not be having any discharge at this point if you are healing normally. This does not mean however that something terrible is going on. If you have a white discharge from the nipple, it is likely milk. Drainage from the suture line may be a sign of wound healing problems, or a seroma. It is important to be sure that you don't have an immediate problem like infection which would have signs like fever, chills, sweats, redness, local heat, and swelling.

Scott E. Kasden, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Leaking is not a normal outcome.

Hello, Please have your doctor evaluate you to be sure you do not have an infection. Leaking this far out is a sign that trouble may be coming.

John P. Di Saia, MD

Orange Plastic Surgeon

See your doctor

I fully agree with the other opinions given. You need to see your docor immediately for this. Your prognosis does also depend somewhat on the character of the drainage (e.g is it clear? red? foul-smelling? purulent?) Also - is the outer skin red at all? Signs such as these may indicate an infection or the presence of tissue that is not healthy inside of your breast (fat necrosis). Most likely, however, you have a fluid collection (seroma) which should be drained and followed closely... more

Brian S. Glatt, MD

Morristown Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Please see your doctor asap

It is not normal to be draining one month postop. You should return asap to your doctor for an evaluation for a problem such as a seroma or infection.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

You probably have a seroma (cavity filled with clear yellowish fluid).

To TW, You need to see your surgeon right away. If you do have a seroma, it needs to be drained promptly (and sometimes more than once). If you ignore a seroma, it can become chronic, and then the lining of the seroma cavity has to be removed surgically.

George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Leaking breast

Leakage of fluid from your breast 4 weeks after surgery is not common. You should see your doctor to be evaluated. This may be something very minor, or it could be something that requires further investigation and treatment.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Not a usual occurence

TW, "Leakage" from the breast 4 weeks after surgery is not usual. You don't mention if you had implants, what the drainage is like or where it is coming from. If it is from the incision line, then it may be a fluid collection from under the skin finding its way out. If you have redness, warmth, fever, pain, you should see your surgeon immediately as this fluid can be infected. Good luck!

Kenneth R. Francis, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tip of the Iceberg: Consider the Source

Drainage from the breast four weeks after a Breast Lift or Mastopexy could represent a serious problem in the making, especially if you had breast implants placed during the Mastopexy. It is likely that there is a seroma in the breast (or in the space around the implant if you have them), which is draining out through a portion of the incision. The problem with this is the potential for contamination of the seroma with normal skin bacteria, which then leads to a closed-space infection... more