• Reference Number: HEY1666/2026
• Departments: Breast Services
• Last Updated: 30 September 2026

Purpose of this guide

This leaflet provides essential information to help you prepare for your breast surgery under local anaesthetic, understand what to expect on the day, and care for yourself safely at home. Please keep it for reference.

What is a Local Anaesthetic?

A local anaesthetic is a medication used to numb a specific area of the body so you do not feel pain during your operation. Unlike a general anaesthetic, you remain fully awake and alert throughout the procedure.

How it is given: The medication is administered via an injection directly into the operative breast area.

What you will feel: As the medication begins working, you may notice a warm or tingling sensation. It takes only a few minutes to achieve complete numbness.

Safety and Comfort: Your surgeon will carefully check that the area is completely numb before starting the procedure. The operation is performed in an operating theatre to maintain a sterile environment and reduce infection risks.

Eating and Drinking Before Surgery

Recommended: You should eat and drink before having surgery under local anaesthetic. Fasting is not required and can cause light headedness or nausea.

Please eat a light meal and drink non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated drinks (such as water or fruit squash) before travelling to the hospital.

What to Bring to Hospital

Hygiene, Jewellery and Valuables

• Bathing: Take a shower or bath and wash your hair the evening before or morning of admission.
• Cosmetics and Nails: Do not apply make-up, body lotion, or perfume. All nail varnish, gel polish, and acrylic or false nails must be removed beforehand so staff can monitor your vital signs.
• Jewellery and Piercings: Remove all jewellery. All body piercings must be removed or swapped to non-metallic silicone. Rings that cannot be removed will be taped.
• Valuables: Please leave jewellery and large amounts of cash at home. The Trust cannot accept responsibility for personal belongings; you will be asked to sign a disclaimer on admission to hospital.

Hospital Stay and Ward Information

Discharge, Activity, Work and Driving

• Discharge: because you are having a local anaesthetic, you will be discharged on the same day once you feel comfortable and your wound has been checked. Early discharge allows you to rest and recover in your familiar home environment.
• Daily Activities: Avoid heavy housework (vacuuming, ironing, lifting full kettles), carrying heavy bags, and reaching overhead for the first 2 weeks. Gradually increase activities as comfort allows.
• Returning to Work: For desk or office work, 1 to 2 weeks absence is typical. For physically demanding jobs involving heavy lifting, 2 to 6 weeks may be needed. Please discuss this with your surgeon on the day of surgery who can provide a medical sickness certificate if required.
• Driving: Do not drive yourself home. Please arrange for a relative, friend, or taxi to collect you from the hospital and generally we recommend avoiding driving for the first 2 weeks. You must be able to perform all driving manoeuvres including an emergency stop without pain. Always check with your motor insurer for specific conditions of insurance cover following breast surgery.

Managing Common Post Surgery Symptoms

Complications following local anaesthetic breast surgery are infrequent and usually minor, but it is important to understand what to expect:

Managing Pain at Home

Once the anaesthetic wears off, mild soreness or aching is expected. This can usually be well managed with simple painkillers.

• Simple pain relief: Have a supply of paracetamol and ibuprofen at home before your surgery. These are not supplied by the hospital for minor procedures.
• Stronger pain relief: (codeine) can be purchased at a pharmacy; please note codeine may cause constipation, drowsiness and nausea.

Wound and Dressing Care

• Stitches: Most breast operations use dissolving (absorbable) stitches placed beneath the skin, which do not need removal. Your surgical team will confirm before discharge.
• Dressings: Keep your surgical wound clean and completely dry. Leave it in place until your scheduled clinic check, or follow the specific removal date provided by your nursing team.
• Hygiene: You may take a shallow bath or shower while keeping your dressing covered and protected from water, unless advised otherwise. Pat the area dry gently with a clean towel. Some dressings have a shower resistant film. Your surgical team will confirm before discharge.

Your Recovery and Returning to Routine

Recovery times vary depending on the procedure performed. As a general guide:

• Rest: Take things easy for the first 48 hours. Avoid strenuous housework (such as vacuuming or heavy lifting) and intense exercise for 1 to 2 weeks.
• Work: Your clinical team will advise you when it is suitable to return to work based on the physical demands of your job.
• Support: Wearing a comfortable, supportive, non-wired soft bra day and night can help reduce movement and ease discomfort during the initial recovery days.

Follow-Up Appointments

Before discharge, your nurse will provide details of your outpatient follow-up if this is required.

You will be seen at the Breast Clinic (or Plastic Surgery Clinic) to check your wound and discuss your biopsy results.

If a hospital follow-up appointment is not required, you will be informed of biopsy results via a letter.

Please contact the Breast Care Unit Reception should you have a follow-up appointment query.

Contact Information and Useful Numbers

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.