I had a simple mastectomy yesterday with SNB and no reconstruction due to high BMI. I’ve been left with sausage-like bulge at the end of my scar. I do remember the surgeon talking about this some time before and saying there was nothing we could about it. But I hadn’t quite grasped how horrendous it would look. It’s really bringing me down. Anyone else has this? Does it reduce after the swelling goes? Has anyone had issues with it? Are there options to get rid? Any reassurance gratefully received!
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Hello
I’m sorry to read that this is causing you upset just a day after your surgery.
I didn’t have the same but I do think it’s probably too soon to see what the end result is going to look like as you’ll be swollen for a little while from the surgery.
If you are worried about it maybe call the breast cancer now helpline and talk to one of the nurses.
Wishing you a speedy recovery from the surgery. Xx
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Hi @mumsy
Sorry to hear your going through this , I think it’s early days must admit when I saw my scarring after mastectomy it looked like a train crash , over time it looks much better , I had some loose skin etc but again it’s looking better. I am waiting for reduction other breast.
Talk to your team about your concerns there’s lots they can do to help x
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Thank you both for your replies. I’ll see the team on Monday when I have the drain out so will ask them then. I went to a reconstruction evening a few months ago and people there all had lovely neat scars and mine just isn’t like that 
I hope it will get a bit better.
Hello mumsy
As jayesse says, it is too early to make any judgement about post surgery appearance. There is bound to be some temporary swelling anyway. Give yourself three or four weeks at the very least - you may find things are starting to settle down. Try not to be too impatient 
Beyond that, there are two possibilities that come to mind:
You could have a seroma, a pocket of the body’s clear fluid, serum, which is common post surgery. These can eventually disappear as the body reabsorbs this. If it doesn’t, the nurse may suggest it is drawn off by syringe, but you’d need this to be confirmed by your breast care nurse.
The other possibility is that you have what is termed a ‘dog ear’. When removing so much breast tissue in a mastectomy, the surrounding body fat / flesh left behind then appears more prominent, naturally. If this presents an ongoing problem for you, as discomfort or aesthetically in terms of appearance, further surgery can be performed to improve this.
I had a double mastectomy and chose to ‘stay flat’. Post surgery, I too hated the lumps either end of my scars, but even more troubling was the way the prominent bump in the centre of my chest (where the two mastectomy scars almost met) was being chafed and rubbed tender by even the softest clothing.
As it happens, I went on to have a full axillary clearance of lymph nodes on one side due to the pathology of one node harvested during the mastectomy. Prior to that secondary surgery, I asked my same surgeon to ‘tidy me up’ at the same time. He did a brilliant job of flattening out the lumps and bumps, using zigzag stitching in the centre to feed in and smooth the excess flesh there. It may have meant some sections of my scars were slightly wider and thicker than before (being cut into twice), but the overall appearance and comfort was worth that. I now have a very tidy flat chest.
Anyway, don’t jump the gun - wait a while to give your poor body a chance to settle and yourself a chance to recover psychologically a little. It’s very early days, so be kind to yourself. Rest up. Sending you the very best of luck for your recovery. 
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Thank you so much. It’s really helpful to have your experience. Thanks for sharing. I’ll try and give myself a break and not stress about it yet. I’m impatient at the best of times! It does help to know there are options. I haven’t decided yet about reconstruction or staying flat. But it’s not a decision for today. Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Really helpful 
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