Breast Swelling After Lumpectomy
I had my surgery on Feb 22 and have been doing fairly well. Went to my follow up appt and the surgeon was happy with how I was doing.
Yesterday my breast was sore and looked a bit swollen. Today the swelling has increased. The incision is center near the nipple and I also had lymph nodes removed. Underarm is not hurting or swollen.
The swelling seems to be spreading if that makes sense. Started to the left of the incision and is now to the left and up towards the underarm. A bit tender to the touch. Does not appear to be any fluid to the touch.
I wore the support bra for the first week as directed by the surgeon and then back to my normal bra.
Thoughts?
Comments
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Call your doctor! Sounds like there could be an infection.
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I agree w/ parakeets - let your dr know.
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Yes, please contact your surgeon. A few weeks after I had my lumpectomy my underarm became swollen and tender where they removed nodes, and it turned out to be a seroma. The PA said this was fairly common with increased activity. She drained it and all the fiud was clear, so thankfully no abscess. I was still fairly numb so it wasn't painful to have it drained, and the tenderness immediately went away. No other post-op problems since then, except for a hard, slightly dented boob! Hope you get it looked at and feel better soon.
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Yep, could be a seroma. I had to have mine drained before I could start radiation. Took ten minutes max.
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UPDATE - went to the surgeon today and the swelling is a seroma, however she didn't feel there was enough fluid to drain at this point. Willl continue to monitor.
Otherwise everything looks good, I'm just about healed on the tumor incision and the node incision is getting there. I'm not scheduled for radiation yet, waiting for the Oncotype results, probably next week.
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Advise--after surgery guidance from bc.org pros please
Through a long winding bit of luck (so grateful)
(and some not luck (possible lymphoma )
this website is crazy kind tytytyt for being here.Saturday night I received a phone call asking if I'd be ready for surgery in 2 days instead of 2 months!!! (May)
Hellya! Jumping Hoops,hotels, sentinol dye, 2 ferries later
----I'm home tonight.
BUT, I'm very very hard/swollen-like...I'm a grape but now a grapefruit :-(
I ..texted my surgeon but no response thus far (a couple of hours)
(the family dr doesn't take calls after 4 or emails/texts (days) and says go to ER on a recording.
Do you think this 10 hr old swollen hard boob is to be expected/ normal?I've reread the post -op notes- nothing, nothing like this was mentioned...
(rereading odyssey /dec 21) maybe?
Thanks for listening, I'll be here all night ;-D
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Gladis you should definitely get seen by a doctor. The swelling is more than likely a seroma but you want to make sure there is no infection. Of course this type of thing only happens when things are shut down. If it is only swelling and you are not experiencing any other symptoms such as redness, warmth, fever you should be able to get addressed today at your doctors office. Hope you were able to rest a little last night.
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Hello Rah, thank you for answering, I reached out last night, ....still waiting. but THANK YOU!!!
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Hi, I just got my lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy last Monday. However, already this past Saturday, I started with a lot of pain and tenderness in my arm, my back and on the side where the biopsy was at. I did see my surgeon yesterday and she said nothing was infected, and told me to take Advil for the pain. I've been taking Advil all day but has not helped - except for ensuring that my underarm skin doesn't touch.
Could seroma form that quickly? I do feel swollen. There's no discharge or any lump of any sorts that I can see. Just the side of my breast is very tender, under arm and the back of under arm. As far as "draining" - what is that process? There wasn't a draining tube installed during surgery.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
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Hi, I just got my lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy last Monday. However, already this past Saturday, I started with a lot of pain and tenderness in my arm, my back and on the side where the biopsy was at. I did see my surgeon yesterday and she said nothing was infected, and told me to take Advil for the pain. I've been taking Advil all day but has not helped - except for ensuring that my underarm skin doesn't touch.
Could seroma form that quickly? I do feel swollen. There's no discharge or any lump of any sorts that I can see. Just the side of my breast is very tender, under arm and the back of under arm. As far as "draining" - what is that process? There wasn't a draining tube installed during surgery.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
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marveldanvers64, sorry you had to find us for this reason, but we wanted to send you a warm welcome to the Breastcancer.org community!
Hope you get other member's answers and advice soon. In the meantime, you might find this info from our main site helpful:
Surgery Risks and Side Effects
Benefits and Drawbacks of Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection
Hope you feel better soon. Please let us know if there's anything at all we can do to help!
The Mods
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An update, because I know I worry about you if I don't 'see back' and appreciate all you are doing on this forum
The swelling is going down. The nurse asked me if it were hot (it was not)
I still look like I've been in a hell of a fight, purple from ribs to underarm with bruises.
(Are some tumors tougher than others to remove? Or is this a lumpectomy norm?)But the surgeon's office did offer a visit today.
Thankfully, (to all my prayer warriors too) it looks like I will not need it.
Ps. Good thing too since there are 0 reservations the entire long weekend to take the ferry to Vancouver
Laugh...ha !
Hope everyone enjoys Love Family Friends and Hope this holiday~
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Gladis glad to hear things are improving! For what it is worth I was black and blue after my biopsy as well because I bruise very easily and my tiny little boobies were very dense so the radiologist really had to work to get the biopsy done. Didn't hurt though at least. Take care hope you get benign results.
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Warning: GRAPHIC PIC !!!!!(No Head :-)
Like this? I've got tiny, wait, one tiny one :-0 the other is monstrous and purple and spreading across and down my chest to my...undies.
Is this normal, or did the surgeon use this foot to pull this sucker out?
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Gladis no I didn't look like that, I was about 1/2 of that. I did also have the bruising going down my ribs. You have a lot of under the skin hemmorage going on there. Were you by chance on any thinners or taking vitamin e ? That can increase bruising. I would want my doc to take a look just in case. The amount of discoloration you have will take a bit to subside. Bless your heart the whole thing is difficult and it sure doesn't help to have such a visual reminder. Hang in there hope all comes out benign.
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Hi rah, thank you for answering.
The Mods said I could put it out there -no head and hope for help. :-D
I was hoping you'd answer. Thx. ;-)
(I nearly took this down, I might even, it is horrific looking and may scare someone new)
No to any thinners or vitamin e, I had been on aspirin though up until the week before
(which the dr said was fine-but then
he hasn't returned any of my calls :-(
-not even the ones his office set up (2x) UGH.
Yet, I'm still here and walking so...I guess I'm okay!
or bleeding quietly internally (galley humor there apologies)
Totally freaked as it got worse, but I'm grateful for your kindness and after reading all of the posts I can,
I'm grateful for just this day , this note, your effort-you know-
happy LONG weekend rah~
glad-Is
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OH gladis, so very sorry for all you're going through. Please keep a close eye on it this weekend, and if your doctor has availability Monday, it's probably a good idea to consult him/her.
Sending lots of healing hugs!
--The Mods
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