About this topic
This is a surgery to remove breast tissue. This is done to: ‚
- Treat breast cancer
- Prevent breast cancer
- Treat side effects from your past breast cancer care
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take your drugs as ordered by your doctor.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower. You may not be able to take a soak in a bathtub, hot tub, or swimming pool until your surgery cuts are fully healed.
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work, driving, or sex
- Walk around the house often when you get home. Try to walk a little more each day.
- Your doctor may have you wear special stockings. These will help to prevent blood clots.
- Keep your breast area clean and dry.
- If you have drainage tubes, empty the cup or bulb when it gets full. You may have to measure the amount of fluid and write the amount on a paper or diary. The amount of drainage should go down or become a little less each day.
- Talk to your doctor about when you can wear a bra. You can meet with the staff about the best place to try a new bra. They can tell you about getting a weight or breast mold also called a prosthetic breast to wear in your bra cup.
- If you have had lymph nodes removed, you can have a meeting with the staff to talk about how to avoid fluid buildup in your hand or arm.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- The test results from the tissue will help your doctor understand what kind of problem you have in your breast. Talk to your doctor about breast reconstruction surgery and if that would be right for you. Together you can make a plan for more care.
- Talk to your doctor about hormone therapy.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent or fight an infection
- Kill cancer cells
- Replace hormones
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your activity for a while. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Fluid buildup in your arm or hand if lymph nodes were removed
- You may feel sad or depressed about the change of your body
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Drain seems clogged and there is fluid under your surgery cuts
- Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain
- Upset stomach and throwing up that are not helped by pain drugs
- Redness, warmth, swelling, stiffness, or hardness in the arm or hand on the side where the lymph nodes were taken out
- Lumps or skin changes in tissue left on mastectomy side
- Low mood
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site and any drainage tubes.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have swelling, redness, or warmth around my wound.
Where can I learn more?
American Society of Clinical Oncology ‚
http://www.cancer.net/patient/All+About+Cancer/Cancer.Net+Feature+Articles/After+Treatment+and+Survivorship/Mastectomy%3A+What+to+Know ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚