This article discusses what you’re gonna wanna know as you recover from a mastectomy.
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Post-Op Recovery
Once your mastectomy surgery is complete, yourrecoveryjourney begins.
Your providers will administer medications for pain and any other symptoms youre experiencing, such asnausea.
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The tubes are connected to soft plastic bulbs that need to be emptied periodically.
The average length of stay after a mastectomy is three days.
Medication
Medication is an important part of your surgical recovery.
Before discharging you from the hospital, your surgeon will discuss pain management at home.
You may be asked not to remove your bandage until your first follow-up appointment with your surgical team.
Most people who undergo a mastectomy have stitches (sutures) that dissolve over time.
This means that they do not have to be removed.
Your surgeon will likely remove the drains at your first follow-up appointment.
As you care for your dressing, pay attention to how your skin looks around the surgical site.
Diet
A healthy diet is an important part of recovering from surgery.
A nutritious diet can also help your body cope with cancer treatments' side effects.
A home exercise program can help reduce pain and make movement easier.
This may include getting yourself dressed and feeding yourself.
Once you start your home exercise program, know it is normal to feel tightness and soreness.
Call your healthcare provider if you are in too much pain to follow your schedule.
Expect to see your surgical team one to two days after you return from the hospital.
You will likely see your surgeon for an appointment about a week after returning home.
It usually takes four to six weeks for the initial recovery period.
Call your healthcare provider immediately if you develop any signs of infection, such as a fever or pus.
This is an important time to ask for help.
Think through the areas of your life in which you could use support in your post-operative period.
You may seek meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, and childcare support.
You may also consider meeting with a therapist or support group.
Frequently Asked Questions
It takes about four to six weeks to recover from mastectomy surgery.
Even after that point, there will be issues to manage and therapies to help you continue to heal.
The liquid that drains from a mastectomy site is a clear liquid known as the serous liquid.
This is the liquid that is normally found between the organs.
Call your healthcare provider any time you have questions or concerns.
Breastcancer.org.Mastectomy surgery and recovery: what to expect.
American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.Enhanced recovery after surgery.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Foods to keep in your diet before and after a mastectomy.
American Cancer Society.Exercises after breast cancer surgery.
2021;30:97-109. doi:10.1016/j.jpra.2021.07.006
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Mastectomy.
Jhala N, Jhala D, Shidham VB.Serous fluid: reactive conditions.Cytojournal.
