Anyone else dealing with a haematoma after surgery?

Thanks so much for asking -Ana- .  Not a bad day really, managed to get outside for a walk in the sunshine and saw some friends too.  I'm a week into taking Anastrozole so being a little neurotic about the arrival of possible side effects...  Hope your day has been OK too x

Hello Jo789

Just read your info...tot axillary clearance beg sept ,haematoma held up radiotherapy by 4 wks, probs since, v large, painful n eating tabs to keep same 're pain, asked br c nurse 're pain, size n bolus over it left it v burned n tender, full expansion even up under arm, scar tissue also from 2010 same side mastectomy complicated things, pain brutal, rang br c team, surgeon said leave as will absorb, sent me to Dr of uktrasound,( been aspirated 2 times prev few wks ago), they decided to turn me on my side, haematoma side up and local anaesthetic n large gauge needles out in over 20 min period with pressure applied heavily by nurse pushing forward n Dr pushing scanner head down n forward as they said I was leaking a litgle. (after small needle n syringe aspiration 10 mls...as old blood from mid sept! Proceeded with large gauge needles to literally ran it back n forward through many bubbles as they called them, in Dr local, I knew this was going to be v painful post procedure...10 times worse than u imagined, pain horrendous....

My haem is torture, swollen, purple, skin peeling from radio treat....never again will I let anyone make me suffer this much....on bus now to radiotherapy br care team to see what they think as to me this is going downhill n concerned 're cellulitis, impossible to see a gp, left mess with br care team yest, no repky.

Will update you after seeing radiotherapy nurses at 11am.

My mast in 2010 was a breeze.

Totally diff this time with haematoma, complicated my recovery.

Katrina21

Goodness me, thanks for replying to my post and I hope you got on OK with the radiotherapists.  I can sympathise with the pain and the rather brutal attempts at aspiration - nightmare!  I am now four months on from surgery (mammoplasty) and just have some bruising now with a sizeable hard lump above nipple.  If it's any consolation, I'm pretty much pain free now.  Haematoma may be reabsorbing, but it's taking its time. Sending hugs, sorry you've had to go through all that.

Yes Jo789.

Good things looking better for you.

Today Dr thought with so many aspirations best antibiotics and stronger co codomal...will be a long slow painful process as on ultrasound scanning diff bubbles of haematomas....Dr said rare haematomas as bad as mine over 3 maths after surgery but radiotherapy has also solidify it. Lucky to be alive.xx.

I'm hanging on in...tough rd n bolus area burning red n skin peeling.

The haematoma is completely expanding out and surgery scars tender n stretchec, it's very firm n has pushed up under arm increasing lymphoedema, pushed my arm out of position which is a challenge, others worse than me.

Take care.xxx

You are doing well.

Katrina21 

Take care 

Ouch! That looks very sore.  I was recommended (by radiologist after she couldn't get anything from aspiration) to wrap area in a bashed up cabbage leaf.  I was recommended this many years ago when sore from breastfeeding, so thought it was safe to give it a go and I think it helped. Also ice packs (frozen peas wrapped well in tea towel) to reduce inflammation.  But this was a good few weeks before I was able to start radiotherapy so different to you.

I'm not medically qualified and didn't have such sore skin on the outside, so this may not be right for you but thought I'd mention it in case useful.  I was on loads of painkillers too of course.

Sending more hugs.  It will get better xx

The decision was made with my haematoma, which unfortunately was not diagnosed as a haematoma, even though the skin looked like a leopards skin (black bruises everywhere and swollen) - BCNs said all healing well even though I was frequently fainting which was something I don't normally do, to operate on it, get the blood cleaned out and take implant that had been newly put in after mastectomy out and replace it. Although BCN's failed in their knowledge, when doing the wound checking, the Radiologist did know what all the weird black spots were (by this time I was feeling very sick indeed) and said it was the biggest haematoma she'd ever seen. Only the Breast Surgeon would touch it. I asked the Nurses later if it was unusual - as usual the answers were different, one said it was and another said it wasn't. Even if removed, a haematoma can come back again. I was operated on as a Friday afternoon emergency in the end, and they sent my Covid Test to the wrong place so I had to do 2 that afternoon, otherwise they wouldn't do the op. What annoyed me most about one of the Breast Cancer Nurses was that when questionned by a Surgeon as to when she had removed the drains, she completely lied about doing it and said she had been off work that day.