Contact & breast assessment

If the difference is new, or something came with it

Do not wait for a routine cosmetic appointment. A difference that has developed over weeks or months, a lump you can feel, a dimple or puckering in the skin, a nipple that has newly turned in, or a new or blood-stained discharge from one nipple needs diagnostic assessment, and that assessment comes before any conversation about shape or size.

Arranging an ordinary assessment

Where the difference has been present and stable since the breasts finished developing, appointments are made through the hospital outpatient line or through the appointment service described on the appointments page. Say that you are asking about a difference between the two sides so that the right clinic time is booked. If you are travelling from outside Chongqing, say so when you book, because the assessment and any imaging can sometimes be arranged together in fewer visits.

What to bring

Bring any previous breast imaging and its reports, any records of earlier breast surgery, a list of your current medicines and allergies, and the names of any conditions you are being treated for. Old photographs, if you have them, are more useful than you would expect, because they show whether the difference has been stable or has changed. Mention any family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

What happens at the consultation

Expect an examination rather than a presentation. Both breasts are measured, the folds are marked and compared, the chest wall and the skin are examined, and the history is taken. You should leave knowing which of the four causes is present, whether anything should be done about it, what the options and their limits are, and whether any imaging is needed first.

Questions without booking

Questions about the content of this site, including any correction you believe should be made to it, are welcome through the hospital administration line. Clinical questions about your own case are best answered in person, and we will say so rather than guess.