Breast reduction: when to get help

1. 1

   Is any of this happening now?

   Call 911

   Call emergency services for severe difficulty breathing, chest pain, coughing up blood, fainting, or a painful swollen leg with sudden breathlessness.

   These can be signs of a serious blood clot or another emergency.

   Other emergency signs, for anyone

   • Someone who is struggling to breathe, gasping, choking, or cannot get words out
   • Someone who has chest pain, tightness or pressure lasting more than a few minutes
   • Someone who has sudden weakness or drooping on one side of the face or body, slurred speech, or sudden confusion
   • Someone who is unconscious, or cannot be woken
   • Someone who is bleeding heavily and it will not stop with firm pressure
   • Someone who has had a seizure that will not stop, or does not wake up afterwards
   • Someone who has lips or skin that look pale, blue, grey or blotchy
   • Someone who you believe has taken an overdose or swallowed something poisonous
   Yes, one of theseNo, none of these
2. 2

   Is any of this happening?

   Be seen today

   Between visits, contact your surgical team promptly if you have increasing redness, warmth, swelling, drainage, a bad smell, fever, a wound that is opening, or pain that is getting worse rather than better.

   Seek urgent assessment if one breast suddenly becomes much larger, firmer, or more painful than the other.

   Also seek urgent advice if the nipple or breast skin becomes unusually pale, dark, cold, or blistered.

   And for anyone, someone who:

   • has a wound that is hot, spreading red, or leaking pus
   Yes, one of theseNo, none of these
3. 3

   Does any of this apply?

   Book an appointment

   Attend routine appointments for wound checks and recovery advice.

   Yes, one of theseNo, none of these

Every sign above is quoted from the sofidex article on Breast reduction. If you are not sure, err upward — it is always reasonable to be checked.