Should All Jewelry Be Removed for Breast Surgery?

Yes, all jewelry should be removed. We have replaced the jewelry or piercings after completion of surgery but we strongly encourage patients to obtain spacers or non metallic temporary devices.

We recommend removing all metal before surgery for the fear of having it conduct and resulting in a burn.  You can have it removed right before surgery and have it replaced just when the surgery is done, even before you wake up.
It should not be an issue.
Good luck with your surgery.

In general, all metal jewelry should be removed prior to any surgery which uses electrocautery, including breast surgery. There is always a risk of a burn if jewelry is not removed. A piercing that is 12 months old will generally not close up if left out for an hour or two. Alternately, some OR nurses are comfortable with taping a piece of jewelry with the caveat that there is always a small chance of a burn at the site of the piercing. My advice would be to simply remove the piercing.