Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026): POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS AND RECOVERY PATTERN FOLLOWING BREAST SURGERY
Vol. 1, Issue No. 2 | July 2026
Breast surgery is routinely performed for both benign breast conditions and breast cancer, yet postoperative complications can significantly influence patient recovery, hospital stay, quality of life, and the timing of further treatment. This original research article published in the Journal of the European Society of Surgery (JESS) evaluates the pattern of postoperative complications and recovery outcomes among patients undergoing breast surgery while identifying the major factors associated with postoperative morbidity. The retrospective observational study included 250 adult patients who underwent elective or emergency breast surgery between 2023 and 2025 at a tertiary care hospital in India. Breast carcinoma accounted for 64.8% of surgeries, with modified radical mastectomy (32.8%) being the most commonly performed procedure. Overall, 28.0% of patients experienced postoperative complications, with sensory disturbance (13.6%), persistent postoperative pain (12.4%), shoulder stiffness (11.2%), surgical site infection (10.0%), and seroma formation (8.8%) representing the most frequently reported complications.
The study also demonstrated encouraging recovery outcomes, with 82.0% of patients achieving wound healing within two weeks, 77.6% returning to normal daily activities within four weeks, and 80.8% achieving complete recovery by six weeks. Statistical analysis identified several significant predictors of postoperative complications, including age over 50 years, diabetes mellitus, obesity, anemia, smoking history, breast carcinoma, modified radical mastectomy, axillary lymph node dissection, operative duration exceeding 90 minutes, drain duration longer than seven days, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The authors conclude that comprehensive preoperative risk assessment, optimization of modifiable risk factors, meticulous surgical technique, standardized postoperative care, and early physiotherapy can substantially improve recovery and reduce postoperative morbidity following breast surgery.
