Post Bilateral Mastectomy

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mommajensen
mommajensen Member Posts: 3
edited March 2017 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

I am not sure if this is the correct thread. March 6 2017 I had a preventative bilateral mastectomy. I was discharged from the hospital the next day with 4 drains (2 per side). On Tuesday 8 days after surgery the surgeon removed the lower drains on each side. The left side did not hurt I just felt a tug. The right side on the other hand hurt and burned as it was being removed. I am suppose to call my output in next week. So far my remaining two drains are still having 40 - 50 output daily. Today I notice a funky smell when I drain them. Is this normal? I am not in a rush for the drains to be removed if they are doing their job and I am scarred about the pain during the removal process. Is there anything I can do to lessen the pain when they are going to be removed? My surgeon said it will hurt.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited March 2017

    Hi Mommajensen-

    We want to welcome you to our community! We hope your recovery is going well, the drains notwithstanding. We have an active thread for our members who have undergone or will undergo surgery in March, you may find some info there, or feel free to post your question again to get some feedback from the community: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/91/topics...

    We hope the second removal goes well, keep us posted!

    The Mods

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited March 2017

    mommajensen - ask whoever is removing the drain to make sure that the closure on the drain bulb is opened and the drain is not operating under pressure when removed. I have had many drains and have found the burning sensation is far less when the drain is not actively draining as it is removed - otherwise it is sucking fluid on the way out and that can cause the discomfort. Keep an eye on the odor, and look for any redness or pain, or even a sudden increase in drain output - it may be nothing but the smell of the normal serous fluid, but could also be a sign of a problem. You may want to call your PS and ask the question to be sure. Good luck!

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  • mommajensen
    mommajensen Member Posts: 3
    edited March 2017

    Thank you for the response. I went to the doctor yesterday and they removed both drains. Little burning sensation but tolerable.

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