Im due surgery in a couple of weeks, for a full axilliary, as cancer was found in my lymph nodes. I have already had a lumpectomy, a few months ago. Im told that i will have drains under my arm. Has anyone experienced this and what should i expect?
Hello! I am so sorry you are going through this. I had a double masectomy and then needed an auxiliary node clearance on one side as they found cancer cells in one node after the first operation. I stayed in hospital for 1 night (although that was partly because I didn’t have the op until 4pm ) and had a drain for 5 days post surgery. They removed the drain when output volume was less than 30ml for 3 days in a row. I had minimal pain, easily manageable with paracetamol. The drain was more of a nuisance than painful. I did do all the recommended exercises and have made a full recovery. They removed 16 nodes and all were clear of cancer which was a huge relief.
Wishing you all the very best for your operation and recovery. You have been through so much already and just view this as another stepping stone to recovery
I had axillary node clearance in December 2023 and had a drain. I had the surgery late afternoon and left hospital late morning the next day. Before the surgery the breast nurse had shown me a drain bottle, how it would work and how to change it. It was changed once by a nurse before I left hospital so I could see how it was done. At home I already had a couple of spare bottles, wipes etc. The drains had a scale on the side so it was easy to mark the level and record daily output. When up and about I used a cross body bag to keep it and it’s tubing in and I wore my capacious raincoat over it when I was out.
It was all fine except that the fluid output kept slowing down and then going above 80ml again. I had it for 10 days in the end when it was removed anyway as my body would start to heal firmly round it otherwise and that was the policy. I was slightly concerned about having fluid sloshing around in my body with my natural drainage nodes removed but it did settle well anyway. I have heard of surgeons/ hospitals not using drains at all for mastectomies or node but like you I was told to expect one, though hadn’t had it for my first surgery of lump and sentinel nodes:
