1st post - 5 days post open lumpectomy, quick question....

MagpieUSMC

Hi ladies,

I have a quick question. I'm 5 days post lumpectomy.... the incision looks fabulous... No redness or anything, I was feeling above the incision site and it still feels like the original lump is there. Its about a half inch above the incision site. I'm dealing with military hospitals and my follow up isn't until 12 January. Did anyone else feel like the surgeon didn't get everything? Is this something I should even bother calling about? Otherwise all is great!!

Thanks for any input.

Magpie

chrissyb

Hi Magpie and welcome to BCO. Firstly, stop feeling and playing with your surgery site.........you will only make it sore and interrupt the healing process. What you are feeling is probably what is called a Seroma, a gathering of blood and fluid produced by the body to help keep the internal site clean, help it heal and is very normal. It can take a few weeks for the body to reabsorb this fluid so don't panic about it........you will more than likely find that it is gone by the time your followup arrives.

Good luck with the rest of your healing and your journey with BC.

Love n hugs. Chrissy

MagpieUSMC

Thank you Chrissy! I appreciate it!

Happy Holidays!

Magpie

ElaineTherese

I agree with Chrissy; don't spend too much time feeling the area around your incision site! You don't want an infection. As for whether they "got it all," you should get a pathology report which will let you know whether the margins around the lump were clean (free of cancer cells). Most seromas are harmless, but I developed a rather large one which needed to be drained before I was allowed to proceed with radiation. After I had my seroma drained, I wore an extra tight sports bra so no more fluid would rush in to fill the area left vacant by the surgery.

Best wishes!