Swelling and infection after surgery

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After surgery to remove a grade 2 lump from my right breast along with level 3 axillary lymph node clearance I thought I was doing rather well. How wrong can you be?!
I was up and about doing things without thinking I was still being shielded by all the stuff that had been pumped into me during the op and although  my underarm was rather dark, rock hard and swollen as well as being numb in places I thought that was to be expected (well, it is, to some extent early on).

However it got worse and worse and then yesterday when I changed my dressings a lot of fluid came pouring out of one of my wounds and I had to put on three dressings in the same spot. Then I thought it might be infected and rang my MacMillan nurse who told me to go to A&E immediately ( I was convalescing at my friend’s job n another town).


Friend promptly drove me to the local hospital, I was seen by a foctor within 45 minutes and I was asked if I wanted to to stay in hospital as I had an infection in the wound. I thought oh dear, it must be bad! However I decided to take the antibiotics back home with me and I started the course immediately. The this morning I got up awash with more fluid and friend rushed out to buy dressings, cleaned me up and applied them. I am really hoping this works as am a bit fed up! 

Anybody else out there having the same issues? I’m prepared to admit I did ask for the drain to be taken out before going to my friend’s which might have been too soon but it was under the 40ml cutoff point!

  • The guideline in the hospital I am treated is that once the drain goes below 50ml a day the drain comes out, so assuming your hospital works to the same guidlines, it doesn't sound like your drain was taken out too early.

    Have you been in touch with your breast care nurse? Your surgeon needs to be informed, and the sooner the better, as he or she would be the real specialist in all of this, and may have some additional input and guidance into what needs to be done. 

    By the way, my surgeon encouraged me to be active after surgery (within certain guidelines of not lifting anything heavy, having showers but no baths, etc.) and said that being active would be good against certain other surgery-related risks, so being up and about sounds to me like the right thing to do.

    I hope things get better soon and the rest of your recovery goes well!  

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    This happened to me too.  I'd agree with what GreyCats has said.  I'd just emphasize that yes your surgeon needs to know and don't rely on the nursing team to tell him make sure you do.  And I wish you the very best of luck for a smooth and easy healing from now forward.