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My mastectomy surgery
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After surgery care

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How will I feel after my surgery?

  • You may have a sore throat from the breathing tube that was in place during your surgery.
  • You may feel sick to your stomach and tired from the medications you were given during and after your surgery.
  • You may have some bruising and tenderness in the area of your operation.
  • You may have numbness across the mastectomy incision, in your armpit and along the backside of your arm.
  • Feelings of tightness, heaviness, tingling or burning are also common. Gently rubbing and tapping the area can help get rid of these sensations.

What are some things I need to do after my surgery?

Deep breathing and coughing:

Do deep breathing exercises as soon as possible to help your lungs recover after surgery. It is best to do these exercises while sitting up in a chair. But they can also be done lying in bed.

  • Take a slow deep breath in through your nose, filling your chest and stomach like a balloon.
  • Try to hold your breath for 1 to 2 seconds.
  • Slowly blow out through your mouth, like you are blowing birthday candles.
  • Repeat 5 times.
  • After the last breath, cough to try to clear any phlegm or mucus from your lungs.
  • Do these deep breathing exercises 4 to 5 times a day in the first 48 hours after surgery.

Movement:

  • You should move your arm(s) soon after your surgery.
  • DO NOT cradle your arm(s) against your chest.
  • For the first 4 to 6 weeks following surgery:
    • DO NOT lift anything over 10 pounds.
    • DO NOT do any heavy pushing, pulling or repetitive movements with the affected arm(s).
  • A physiotherapist you will see in the pre-operative breast cancer surgery education class will show you exercises that you need to start 24 hours after surgery. Learn more about these exercises.

Will I have a bandage after my surgery?

  • You will have dissolvable stitches underneath your incision (cut) and several strips of thin surgical tape covering your incision. These are called steri-strips.
  • The incision will then be covered by a large gauze dressing. At the site of the drain, you will have another smaller dressing.
  • DO NOT remove your dressings for the first 48 hours after surgery or until a nurse sees you for the first time at home or at a medical clinic.
  • DO NOT remove the thin strips of surgical tape for about 10 days after your surgery.
  • Your surgeon may also place a tensor bandage wrapped around your chest during your recovery. This can be removed 48 hours after surgery.

Will I have pain after my surgery?

  • You may have some mild pain or discomfort after your surgery.
  • You will be given a prescription for pain medication before you leave the hospital.
  • Be sure to fill your prescription for pain medicine as soon as possible so that you have it available if you should need it.
  • Take your pain medicine exactly as it is directed so that you can have good pain control.
  • If you still have pain after taking your medicine, or you have concerns about your pain medicine, call the Breast Site Nursing Team at 416-480-5000.

What about my other medicine (pills)?

  • Restart your regular medicine after surgery unless your surgeon has told you not to.
  • If you normally take aspirin or a blood thinner (such as Coumadin®), ask your surgeon when you can start these medicines after surgery.
  • If you have any questions about your other regular medicines, please contact your family doctor.

What can I do if I am constipated?

You may be constipated after surgery. Constipation can result from the medication used to put you to sleep for your surgery, taking certain pain medications, a change in diet and/or reduced physical activity.

If you have trouble having a bowel movement, the following may help:

  • Drink lots of fluid after your surgery.
  • Or, use a laxative such as senokot, which stimulates the bowels so they move. Senokot is available at a pharmacy. Take 1 to 2 senokot tablets twice a day as needed.
  • Eat prunes or drink prune juice.

If these things don’t help, call 416-480-5000 and ask to speak to the nurses on the breast team.

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When should I get medical help if I run into problems?

If within 72 hours of your surgery:

  • You have a lot of bleeding from where you had your surgery. “A lot of” means a completely soaked bandage.
  • Or, you have a lot of very bloody drainage in the drain (need to empty 3 times in 8 hours).

Call your surgeon’s office. If you cannot get in contact with the surgeon’s office, phone the general surgery resident on call at 416-480-4244.

If you have any of the symptoms listed below — and it is between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday — call the Breast Site Nursing Team at 416-480-5000. If the symptoms happen outside of these times, call the general surgery resident on call at 416-480-4244 or go to the closest Emergency Department.

  • Your incision (cut) gets red, swollen or very tender to touch. You may have an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics.
  • You have a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for over 24 hours. You may have an infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics.
 

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