If you have had surgery on your breast or chest wall (including heart and lung surgery), seek prenatal counseling and close postpartum support for breastfeeding. This patient underwent an open heart surgery day 2 of life via a left thoracotomy (cutting open the rib cage). This impacted blood vessels and nerves. Subsequently during puberty, her left breast did not develop in the same way that her right breast did. She ultimately produced much less milk from this left breast compared to the right.
