Breast Surgical Biopsy Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a breast surgical biopsy, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Bruising
• Scarring
• Tissue damage
• Breast deformity
• Numbness over area of biopsy

Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Obesity
• Smoking
• Poor nutrition
• Chronic illness, like diabetes
• Bleeding disorder

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the procedure.

Call Your Doctor

After arriving home, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the biopsy site
• Nausea and/or vomiting that you cannot control with the medicine you were given after surgery, or that persist for more than two days after the procedure
• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
• Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Pain and/or swelling in your feet, calves, or legs

In case of an emergency, call 911immediately.