Help!
I'm looking for information on the effect of surgery on the lactating breast.
I am helping a woman whose left breast was badly bruised in a car accident
due to pressure of the seat belt. The breast was initially about 70%
purple-black in colour, and she was expressing milk that looked like tomato
soup (her six month old would 'suck and spit', and then refused that side).
Feeding was extremely painful, as was expressing either manually or with an
electric pump. An ultrasound arranged a week after the accident, when most
of the external bruising had settled and the expressed milk looked more like
chocolate than tomato, revealed a huge haematoma behind the nipple.
This was surgically drained two days ago (500mls of blood)
and the incision was sutured with a drain left in. Needless to say, the
drain is draining milk (several hundred mls a day), and mother is still
expressing, but not much. Baby is still feeding from unaffected side.
Her surgeon has told her she must wean, as the ducts to the nipple 'might
be torn' and that lactating would mean that the breast will not heal, and
the breast may not be able to be 'used' again for lactation (she is also
about 6 weeks pregnant).
I would like to know if anyone has experience of breast surgery under
these circumstances, whether weaning was necessary, or any references I
can show to the surgeon to help the mother keep feeding (if this is possible)
Looking forward to suggestions!

Fiona Coombes
NMAA Breastfeeding Counsellor
Family Physician, IBCLC
Perth, Western Australia