How long does it take to recover from a mastectomy with axillary node clearance and radiotherapy

Hi  it sounds like you probably have a seroma which is fluid build up.  I had the same thing and it's really annoying.  Mine happened within a week of surgery approximately, it was drained and it immediately came back.  I was offered to have it drained again but told that probably best to leave it and eventually my body would reabsorb it.  It took some months (can't remember how long) and then I stopped feeling it.  At my 6 month check up I was told I did still have some fluid build up but I could continue leaving it alone for my body to deal with.  No idea if it's still there now 9 months post surgery.

I would make sure your surgeon knows about it and I would pay attention to any signs of infection (redness, heat, fever, feeling unwell) and let your doctors know immediately if you think it might be.  It's stagnant fluid just sitting there so infections can happen.

Hope this helps x

Hi Godwilling,

I did have a seroma that was drained on my post operative visit, it did build up again. I had it looked at prior to starting Radiotherapy but was told it was not fluid but was puffy and looked different from my right arm as there was no breast to pull it down and the puffyness was me not fluid. It does come and go and most of the time it is OK, just a bit uncomfortable. Every few weeks it gets very sore for no apparent reason and stays like this for about 10 days. I swim every week day and I am still doing the post operative exercises every day.

Sorry to hear that .  I haven't come across that before.  What makes it puffy if not fluid and have your doctors come across this with other patients and if they did what happened with them?  I would speak to your medical team and ask these questions.  Keep pushing for help until someone says there is nothing they can do - hopefully that doesn't happen.