Can I Drain Milk After Breast Implant Surgery?

After a few weeks of my implant surgery, one of the ends where my doctor cut is not closing and it's draining white water with a smell of milk. I went to go see my doctor right away and asked me all simptoms of infection and I said no to all of them. That's when my Doctor said it was milk, is this true ?

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by Ybeth in Van Nuys, CA

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Milk let down after Breast Augmentation

This indeed can and does happen even to women whom have not been pregnant recently. It is due to the feedback mechanism from the breast tissue nerves being stimulated by the pressure of the breast implant, all this tricks the brain into thinking the breasts are "pregnant" and ready for breast feeding. As always it it best to take the advice of your operating surgeon who is seeing you first hand. Best of luck...RAS

Breast Augmentation

If you have white milk like substance draining form a breast after surgery and your surgeon thinks it is milk, milk it is. There aren’t any other options. A milk duct was probably in the incision line and was cut with milk in the duct draining out. Discuss with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and determine the course of action to take.

Milk after breast implants

It could very well be milk. I tell my patients that if they are lactating, that they should wait about 3-6 months after stopping before undergong breast surgery.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Drainage through breast implant incision

If your incision is leaking fluid is might be milk if you were lactating shortly before your breast augmentation. The risk now is that bacterial contamination can result in an infection around the breast implant as the incision is open. Milk or not the risk is real with considerable consequence. Keep the area clean and covered an stay in close touch with your surgeon. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Lactation a few weeks after surgery

The answer to your question is simply yes, it can be milk, particularly if the sugery was done shortly after you gave birth, or stopped nursing. That is why we try to wait 4-6 months after birth or after nursing before we proceed with surgery, so the body has a chance to dry up all of the milk production. If it has been longer than that, you should bring it to the attention of your doctor as you may need an endocrinology work up.

Lactation after breast augmentation

The sensory nerve supply to the nipple-areolar complex also governs the milk let down reflex, so it's possible that breast augmentation with a periareolar approach can trigger lactation. Ask your PS what techniques may be applied to reduce milk production and cool cabbage leaves may be mentioned. Palodel is a medication which rarely is used if nonmedical measures (chest wrapping,etc.) are unsuccessful. Milk is a suspension of protein, fat and water and... more

Lavinia Chong, MD

22 reviews

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

www.chongmd.com

Draining milk after breast implant surgery?

How long after you quit nursing did you have your surgery, that is, assuming you had quit nursing? We usually wait 4-6 months after cessation of nursing before doing breast augmentation to try to avoid this problem.