I had a mastectomy in 2020 and a lumpectomy earlier this year. I have to wear a supportive bra because I have lymphoedema. My problem is I have a ‘dog ear’ flap on my mastectomy side. My bra rubs the loose flesh and gets very sore, occasionally bleeds. The only time it’s comfortable is if I don’t wear a bra but I have to because of the lymphoedema.
Hello.
I had a friend who has similar and they went back to the Breast clinic to say they wanted it removed. You can go back to them and say it’s causing discomfort and you wish to have it removed.
I have also got excessive skin after mastectomy. After 7 years i got in touch with the surgical team. A doctor tested and as i have no feeling in the breast area they have agreed to remove the skin by local
Hi longmuir1949
Thanks for posting.
It sounds as though this has been a problem on your mastectomy side for some time and it’s understandable you find it more comfortable when you don’t wear a bra.
You mention that the loose skin gets very sore and sometimes bleeds. Any areas of broken skin may increase the risk of infection and make the lymphoedema worse. Avoiding damage to the skin is an important part of managing lymphoedema but as you say, this can be difficult because of the ‘dog ear’ on your mastectomy side being rubbed when you wear a bra.
As @NatalieS42 and @BrendAnne say this is something that you can discuss with your treatment team. Your breast care nurse can arrange this or if you have been discharged from hospital care, your GP can refer you back to the breast clinic.
You may also want to request an appointment at the lymphoedema clinic to discuss the difficulty you’re having managing this.
It may also be helpful to have a bra and prosthesis fitting appointment to discuss what they may suggest for greater comfort.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to more support and information if necessary.
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Best wishes
Eve
Breast Care Nurse
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