Objective To explore the effect of family participation mode on perioperative complications and breast aesthetics in patients with breast cancer. Methods A total of 68 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery in Nanjing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from January to October 2022 were randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 34 patients in each group. The control group received routine nursing, and the observation group increased the family participation model on the basis of the control group. The breast beauty score, family care and complication rate were compared between the two groups. Results The scores of nipple displacement, scar hyperplasia and breast depression in the observation group were better than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P