post op swelling in affected side & armpit

joyfh

i had modified radical mastectomy on april 20 this year with excision of 21 lymph nodes which were all negative for cancer cells. My worry is this swelling which has not subsided after more than 2 months post op. Fine needle biopsy showed negative also for cancer cells. My surgeon was vague about what to do about it since wound healing takes 1-2 years he said. I would like to know if this is normal or need surgery to correct. It is not painful but feels uncomfortable & impedes a bit with range of motion of left arm. Anyone with experience like this post op? Thank you. I had my surgery in cebu philippines & there's not much discussion from my surgeon about what to expect post op. Thankfully i dont have pain before or after surgery.

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Joy-

Swelling is a normal side effect after surgery, and can sometimes take several weeks to subside. There's also the possibility of Seroma, which is a post-surgical complication where fluid accumulates in areas affected by your surgery, like your chest or underarm. Most will go away on their own, but some need to be drained. Definitely something to discuss with your doctor, to see if that's a possible explanation for the swelling you're still experiencing!

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Kawigirl1260

I had a lumpectomy with SNB back in Jan. BS only took 4 nodes. I still had some non-lymphedema swelling in June when I had my smx.

My BS said that swelling could take months to subside. Also, she explained that there is non-breast tissue under the arm that the weight of the breast pulls down/forward. When the breast is removed, that tissue is "released" and now rests up under the arm. The amount varies among women, by the original size and weight of the breast, and by how much tissue was removed.

If you have what is known as "dog ears", which is a larger amount of tissue that's really in the way and is kind of droopy (thus the name), that can be surgically corrected. Something to talk about with your surgeon. But, it does take time for the tissues to reabsorb the fluids caused by the surgery.

Glad you're having no pain - although that swelling can be a pain, right?