After surgery for breast cancer

You will be encouraged to get out of bed and start moving about as soon as possible after your operation. You may have a drainage tube to drain fluid from the wound. This will usually be removed within a few days of the operation by the nurses on the ward. You may be allowed to go home with the drainage tube still in place. In this case, it will be removed a few days later by a community or district nurse.

Time in hospital

After a lumpectomy or segmental excision, your stay in hospital will probably only be 1–2 days. Women who have had a mastectomy, or have had all their lymph glands removed, usually stay in hospital for 3–5 days after their operation. The length of time you are in hospital will depend on the type of surgery you have had.

Pain or soreness

After your operation you may have some pain or discomfort around your wound and under your arm. This may continue for some weeks. You will be given painkillers. If you still have pain it is important to tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible, so that more effective painkillers or physiotherapy can be prescribed.

Some women find that their breast and arm are sore for up to a year after the treatment. For a small number of women it may continue after this time. If you have continuing pain or soreness, you can ask your doctor to refer you to a pain control specialist. They can assess your pain and advise you on treatments that may help.

Some women have a pain which feels like a tight cord running from their armpit to the back of the hand. This is called cording. It is thought to be due to hardened lymph vessels. Sometimes it can make it difficult to move the arm. Physiotherapy can help and sometimes antibiotics may be prescribed. The pain usually gets better gradually over a few months, but can sometimes come back.

Stiff shoulder

Some women find that they have stiffness in the shoulder. This is more likely after mastectomy than lumpectomy. It is important to do exercises to help maintain the movement in the shoulder. CancerBACUP or Breast Cancer Care can send you a leaflet about the exercises. You will normally be taught how to do them by a physiotherapist.

Swelling around the wound

The area around the wound will be bruised and there may also be a build up of fluid which can make it swollen and puffy for a while. This should gradually disappear over a few weeks. Occasionally, quite a lot of fluid can build up in the area around the wound; this is known as a seroma. It may need to be drained off by your nurse or doctor. If you have a seroma it can be very upsetting, but the amount of fluid gradually lessens. It will usually stop within a few weeks.

Numbness and tingling in the upper arm

You may have numbness and tingling in your upper arm. This is because nerves in the area have been affected by the surgery. These effects may last for some months and for some women can be permanent. It is more likely to occur after axillary clearance than after axillary sampling or sentinel node biopsy.

Breast prosthesis

After a mastectomy, you will be given a lightweight foam prosthesis (false breast). This is sometimes called a cumfie or softie, which you can put inside your bra. It is designed to be worn immediately after the operation when the area feels tender. When your wound has fully healed, you will be fitted with a permanent prosthesis. Several types of prosthesis are available from the NHS. Breast Cancer Care can give you a list of stockists throughout the UK.

Outpatients appointment

Before you leave hospital, you will be given an appointment to attend the outpatient clinic so that the surgeon can check that the wound is healing properly. At the appointment, you will also be told the stage of the cancer (how large it was and whether it had spread to the lymph glands). Your doctors will discuss with you any further treatment that you may need. This is a good time for you to talk to them about any problems or questions you may have.