Breast Services-Royal Liverpool Hospital
This leaflet has been produced to give you general advice after having a breast biopsy, under local anaesthesia.
About the procedure
A small amount of tissue has been removed from your breast. This is looked at by a pathologist in a laboratory who will be able to tell us whether the tissue is normal or abnormal in any way.
Results
You have been given an appointment to come back for the results of your biopsy. If there is any delay with your results we will contact you, by telephone, to prevent you from attending your appointment unnecessarily.
Occasionally the biopsy does not give us a definitive result. In this instance you may be called back, and a further biopsy procedure may be needed to remove some more breast tissue, enabling us to make a diagnosis.
After Care
It is ok to drive home as long as you feel able to do so. We advise no exercise, stretching or heavy lifting, particularly using the affected side, for the remainder of the day. If you work you may be able to do so, but if your job involves physical exertion, we advise lighter duties for 24-48 hours following this procedure. Each individual is different, you may feel able to go about your normal activities the following day.
Pain relief
The anaesthetic that you were given during the procedure will wear off after a couple of hours (this varies slightly from person to person). If you feel discomfort, you can take pain relief such as paracetamol. Avoid taking any aspirin-based pain relief as this can lead to further bruising within the breast. A comfortable and supportive, preferably non-wired, bra should also help.
Bruising/Bleeding
Bruising following the procedure is common, this may be accompanied by a bruise inside the breast which may feel like a lump, if you do feel a lump it may persist for a few weeks
If the biopsy site begins to bleed once you have left the department, apply firm pressure to the area for at least ten minutes. Check after this time to see if the bleeding has stopped. If the bleeding continues or if you notice that your breast becomes enlarged, painful and tight then re-apply pressure and seek advice from the telephone number below. If you need advice out of hours, please go to a walk-in centre or contact your GP and inform them of the procedure that you have had.
Dressings
If a pressure dressing has been applied following your procedure then this can be removed after three to four hours (leaving the smaller dressing underneath in place). If the pressure dressing is causing irritation to the skin, then it can be removed sooner.
Keep the smaller dressing in place for 24 hours. Keep the area dry for this time. When removing the dressing it can be helpful to do so in either the bath or the shower. You can apply a small plaster to the area if you wish.
If you need any further advice, please contact us on the numbers below.
Feedback
Your feedback is important to us and helps us influence care in the future.
Following your discharge from hospital or attendance at your outpatient appointment you will receive a text asking if you would recommend our service to others. Please take the time to text back, you will not be charged for the text and can opt out at any point. Your co-operation is greatly appreciated.
Further Information
Royal Liverpool Hospital Breast Unit:
9.00am-5.00pm
Reception Tel: 0151 706 2920
Text Phone Number: 18001 0151 706 2920
Breast Specialist Nurse 0151 706 2927
Text Phone Number: 18001 0151 706 2927
Aintree Breast Unit:
9.00am-5.00pm
Reception Tel: 0151 529 0209
Breast Specialist Nurse Tel: 0151 529 4082
Out of Hours:
Please attend your local walk-in centre or contact your GP.
NHS 111
Tel: 111
Author: Breast Services
Review date: July 2029
PI 2185 V3