Mastectomy (Breast Removal Surgery)

At-home Recovery

Mastectomy surgery might take a few weeks to recover from, and reconstruction can take even longer. You must take the time you need to recover.

Here are some general tips to follow at home in addition to your surgeon’s instructions:

Rest: You will almost certainly be exhausted when you return home from the hospital. Allow yourself to take it easy in the weeks following surgery. Learn more about how to deal with weariness.

Medication: Around the breast incision and the chest wall, you’ll probably experience a mixture of numbness and pain (and the armpit incision, if you had axillary dissection). Take pain medicine as prescribed by your doctor if you feel the need. Learn how to deal with chest pain, armpit discomfort, and overall discomfort.

Exercise: It’s important to do arm exercises regularly to avoid stiffness and maintain arm flexibility.

Take sponge baths: When your drains and any staples or stitches have been removed, you can take your first shower. Until your doctor approves showers or baths, a sponge bath will suffice.

References:

    • Gieni M, Avram R, Dickson L, et al. Local breast cancer recurrence after mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction for invasive cancer: a meta-analysis. Breast 2012;21(3):230–236.
    • Henry NL, Shah PD, Haider I, Freer PE, Jagsi R, Sabel MS. Chapter 88: Cancer of the Breast. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier; 2020.
    • Jagsi R, King TA, Lehman C, Morrow M, Harris JR, Burstein HJ. Chapter 79: Malignant Tumors of the Breast. In: DeVita VT, Lawrence TS, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds. DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg’s Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2019.
    • Kwong A and Sabel MS. Mastectomy. In Chen W, ed. UpToDate. Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate, 2021.
    • National Cancer Institute. Physician Data Query (PDQ). Breast Cancer Treatment – Patient Version. 2021.
    • National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Breast Cancer. Version 4.2021.
    • Oh J.L. (2008) Multifocal or Multicentric Breast Cancer: Understanding Its Impact on Management and Treatment Outcomes. In: Hayat M.A. (eds) Methods of Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy and Prognosis. Methods of Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy and Prognosis, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht.
    • OJ Vilholm, S Cold, L Rasmussen and SH Sindrup. The postmastectomy pain syndrome: an epidemiological study on the prevalence of chronic pain after surgery for breast cancer. British Journal of Cancer(2008) 99, 604 – 610.
    • Sabel MS. Breast-conserving therapy. In Chen W, ed. UpToDate. Waltham, Mass.: UpToDate, 2021.