How Tissue Donation Works

You need to apply ice (provided ice pack or 4-6 ice cubes with a little water in a zip baggie) 2 more times before bedtime for 15-20 minutes each time.

If you need to take pain medication after the procedure, you may take whatever you would normally take for headache, etc. making sure to follow the instructions on the bottle

• Remove the gauze dressing after 24 hours. You may shower after the dressing is removed, making sure to pat the biopsy area dry.
• The Steri-strips applied directly to your incision site are like “stitches”.  They should not be removed until they begin to fall off on their own, or at minimum five days after the biopsy. 
• The incision site may not quite “come together.” As long as it is not bleeding, no further bandage is necessary.

Bruising and discomfort are common and vary by donor:

• Sometimes bruising can extend to the entire breast. Bruising can even be in the bottom of the breast even though the tissue is taken from the upper breast.
• Bruising can remain for up to a month’s time.
• Occasionally there will be a lump (a hematoma) that forms after the procedure which will also resolve with time. This can be as big as one or two inches, and may take up to several months to resolve.

It is important to note that if you are taking aspirin or ibuprofen type medicines, you are likely to experience more bruising.

If your annual screening mammogram is within 3 months of the tissue donation, the mammogram may reflect changes related to the procedure. This may result in being called back for additional imaging. The KTB will not be responsible for any costs related to this imaging.

Please call us for any problems related to the procedure which may include: swelling, redness, warm to touch, fever, bruising that is getting bigger, bleeding, or thick drainage.

You will receive a phone number of a physician to call in case you have any questions or concerns. This will be located in the post-procedure Instructions given to you on the day of the event.