Armpit near mastectomy feels hard

Anonymous

Armpit near mastectomy feels hard

Axolotl

I had a unilateral mastectomy 2 weeks ago with a sentinel node biopsy. SNB was clear. About a week after surgery the nodes around the area of my SNB were a swollen, which my BS said would go away. Now I notice that my armpit and along the incision line in that area feels tight and hard. Is this something I should be worried about? Is it normal? What is causing it?

MBPooch

Hi Axolotl - I experienced something similar with my BMX. About 2-3 weeks after surgery, my SNB incision was very hard along with a little bit of the area around it. It stayed that way for a couple weeks and then just disappeared. I was told it was just fluid and inflammation and would resolve on its own. I didn't have any swelling of the nodes in particular, just an overall soreness/swelling with the hardened incision. Also tighter on that side than my other. I would keep your eye on it and see if you notice the symptoms subside. I couldn't believe what a turning point week 5 was. Almost feel 100%. Hang in there!

Outfield

With any question like this after surgery, it's worth it asking your surgeon's office.

Axolotl

Thanks for your replies! After posting this I found some old threads about the same topic. It seems this is pretty common. I'm keeping an eye on it and will talk to the doctor.