Hi
Just to let you know that I had an introductal papilloma about 3.5 years ago. I had this sticky clear to yellow discharge from my right nipple for a while and i did a mammo and an ultra sound. They also did a biopsy but my doctor(who was a breast specialist) advised it be excised to rule out any malignancy. The operation was very simple and i didnt even have to stay in the hospital for the night. They had done an incision on the aleaora area(it is very pale now, I have problem seeing the mark!). I had no complications and i dont have any side effects like numbness of nipple or anything. The only problem is that it still gets a bit sore if i exercise ( i play volleyball) for a long time, but it is not unbearable. Anyway, it seems to be the best solution and it really is not a complicated procedure, but at least you have peace of mind since they can give you a definite answer that it is not malignant after excision. My doctor also mentioned that these types of lesions DO NOT increase the chances of getting breast cancer. HOpe this helps
Hi, this is the first time I’ve posted on here. I had a microdochectomy on 9th December as a day case under a GA.
Had been having a blood stained discharge from one duct for past few weeks. Had a mammogram which was ok and an ultrasound which showed a couple of dilated ducts. The breast surgeon said they had to remove and examine the duct to rule out any problems as any lesion in the duct wouldn’t show up on a mammogram.
I had a similar problem 4 years ago and had a microdochectomy on the other breast,which showed up as duct esctasia and up til now no further problems.
Have got an appointment at the hospital on Tuesday to get the results, which hopefully will be ok. However I can’t help worrying, this time that something will be wrong. I have had breast pain this time, and the whole process has been put through very quickly and treated as urgent, whereas it wasn’t last time. GP urgent referral, hospital appointment 2 weeks later, follow up appointment 2 weeks later, with operation put forward as urgent and 3 weeks later. Whilst I am grateful that it is being dealt with quickly, I can’t help worrying that there is a problem this time.
Only 2 days hopefully til I find out, I realise that this is really minor in comparison to what a lot of women are going through, and I’m sorry, but I’m getting myself all worked up.
Hi,still have discharge from one nipple & what seems to be one duct,when i first found the discharge it came out when i gently sqeezed the nipple,now it comes out when i gently touch around the areola,i found small lump in early november which now feels different like the shape of the number eight,it feels like two tiny balls stuck together,hoping to see GP this week for a second opinion as worried,my mammograam & ultrasound were both negative,but i know this lumps is deffenantly a different shape/size to the shape i found in november.If you’re still there Jane,how’s things?
xx
Been to GP and got an appointment at the clinic for Thursday morning
hya girl detective,
I know what you are going through, i have recently have had a hadfiels procedure for having breast discharge and dilated ducts and having a high risk of breast cancer, i used to come on here last year when my twin sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, unfortunately i lost my twin sister the end of september to this awfull disease, hope you go on well and keep your chin up. xxxx
Hi Chestnut and everyone,
I’m having the duct removal on the 4th Feb. For those who have had it - I’m wondering about time off work - I’m thinking that day and the day after?
xxx
…
Hya janerc
my doctor put me on the sick for two weeks, i think you need at least a week to start feeling even normal again, but it also depends on how you feel, every one is different how they heal, good luck with the operation, hope all goes well.
mardijane. xxx
Thanks for the reply but BUGGER!
I have just started a new job and don’t want to be a sick note - I had just been off for 3 months with Ovarian issues!!!
The surgeon said - just the day of the op needed off but googling the op has thrown up guidance leaflets for other hospitals talking about a week. I have underplayed it massively at work - here’s hoping!
Jane
xxx
(also pretty mardi! - ha ha)
I had the same op two years ago - i.e. in as a day patient. I was back at work the next day and felt fine. It’s a pretty minor op and if you’re generally OK with anaesthetic, you should be fine. Good luck.
I had Hadfield’s due problem ducts and persistent abscesses. I took a week off but could have coped with a couple of days off – though I was a bit tired out. Might have been worse for me because of the problems with the infection
I discovered a watery/bloody discharge from one breast when squeezing my nipple to look at breast milk that I still have.I mentioned this at the Milton Keynes Breast Clinic when there for a follow up to calcification that was found in the other breast.The mammograms are clear but when I told them of the discharge they took a swab which they then said showed atypical cells.They want to perform surgery and make an incision under the nipple to take a larger sample.The trouble is that they have now lost my notes and several months have gone by.I do not know what to do as I have not had the discharge for some months and am wondering if I really need to go through this process.Some comments would be most helpful.Trouble is I dont quite believe there can be anything wrong,I am 56.My Docter said have the surgery as he knows someone with an aggressive type of cancer that showed itself through a bloody discharge.
I had surgery a week ago for a discharge of many months standing. I would really urge you to press the doctors - my research has shown that rarely this discharge can be a sign of malignancy.
If MK has proven unsatisfactory (sounds like it) ask your GP for another referral - think about University Hospital Coventry - the service I have had there has been awesome in every respect.
I don’t want to scare you but I really think you should pursue this further.
I have had nipple discharge for 5 months now in one nipple and what appears to be the same duct,I was told the lumps I thought I could feel were just tissue,mammogram,ultrasound and smear all found nothing wrong,I sometimes feel a tickle/itchy sensations and when i gently squeeze the nipple/areola the nipple leaks clear watery discharge,I have another appointment next month at the breast clinic,I was told that if it has not stopped they will do another smear test,any suggestions what I should ask at my appointment would be gratefully recieved,will this discharge just stop on its own or will it go on to leak more,
Hi Jane,I hope all went well with your opperation x
First let me say that I live in the States but found this forum to be helpful and wanted to post my experience so far.
I have had an amber colored clear discharge in my left breast for a few months now. I told my ob-gyn about it and she sent a sample of the discharge to the lab. It came back with no malignant cells present. She told me that most likely it is a papilloma and referred me to a breast surgeon.
I have had an inverted left nipple for most of my life and that is always an issue upon examination. Because of the inversion she felt it would be necessary to do a complete duct removal which would require a visit to see a plastic surgeon. She said it would not be possible to locate the exact duct that the discharge was coming from so it would be better to remove them all, thereby ensuring that they got the papilloma. I should say here that it seems the doctors concur that this is in fact a papilloma but there is a chance it could be Intraductal Carcinoma In Situ. Did I spell that right?
Papillomas can have a 90% chance of being benign but it is that 10% that leaves me worried.
So, I did go see the plastic surgeon who said if I have the complete duct removal I would then wait for the biopsy results which take 7-10 days. If all clear then we would schedule a procedure to replace the missing tissue around nipple with fat from another area, possibly my abdomen.
I should say here that I was told by the breast surgeon that normally they would locate the offending duct and remove just that duct but in my case it would be difficult because of the lifelong inverted nipple.
Well that really got me to thinking that maybe a second opinion might be a good idea. So I headed into Boston, Massachusetts since I live only about 1 hr from there. They have a breast care clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital called the Avon Breast Care Clinic.
Armed with my 2 ultrasounds and latest mammogram, which by the way were clear, (papillomas are almost impossible to see on imaging) I headed to the clinic to speak with another surgeon.
Since MGH is a teaching hospital you have the benefit of speaking with interns as well as the attending physician. Everyone in this clinic is a woman so it was an amazing experience.
The intern who was the first to come into the exam room listened to my story and seemed to concur with the first surgeon that I would need a complete duct removal due to the difficulty
in finding the duct due to the inversion. Well, needless to say that when she left the exam room and i was waiting for the Dr. I was preparing myself for the same conclusion.
The doctor came in examined me and may I say here, she was much more thorough. It hurt somewhat because she really pulled and manipulated my nipple. However when she was all done she said in a very matter of fact way, " I do believe it is the duct that is at the 2 o"clock position and I see no need to do a complete duct removal." She also said that because I would be under sedation she could manipulate the nipple even more and be sure to locate the correct duct. She said she does these once a month on average and seemed very confident. I asked about waiting to see if the discharge would resolve itself and her answer was, “Highly likely that would not happen and it was much more preferable to go in and surgically treat a benign condition than to wait and then treat a malignant condition.” I have to agree with her.
She looked at my images and said that they were adequate but that she would still prefer I have imaging done while there at the breast center since they were, “all about the breasts there and the imaging would be superior to what I previously had.” So I had another mammogram, this time with spot compression, ouch, and another ultrasound with a female radiology doctor. The ultrasound was much more precisely done with me lying on my side with my arm overhead and at one point having to hold my breath because she said she was right on the spot the surgeon had mentioned and was monitoring blood flow and it would aid the surgeon. I really felt I was in very capable hands at this clinic to say the least.
So now I am scheduled for Feb. 10th to remove just the offending duct. It will not require me to have plastic surgery either which is good news.
I have no idea what to expect as far as scarring, pain numbness etc. She did say it was a wire guided procedure where she would insert a wire into the duct and then come in behind that and remove the duct. She also said I could lose some feeling but on the upside there is a chance that the inverted nipple may be corrected by the cutting that is done. That remains to be seen but would be a welcome side effect.
I was under the impression that the scar from the incision would be limited to my nipple area but have read on other posts here that the incision could in fact extend outward a few inches.
I highly recommend getting a second opinion when surgery is recommended just to be sure you have heard all of your options.
I welcome any input from others who have gone before me and thank all of you for your posts. It is so helpful to hear others experiences.
I will post after surgery to let everyone know my experience. God bless all of you.
Dear All, I am not usually in the habit of writing on these types of forums but as this site has been extremely useful I decided to go ahead! My story is (according to my surgeon) very typical. I am 48 and began to notice a blood stained discharge from one nipple every so often. Perhaps 1 - 2 x per week, only at night and usually red / brown / greenish. I had a mammo and an ultrasound scan - this showed cysts ++ (they’ve been there ages and are nothing to worry about!) and dilated ducts. I had no skin changes, no lumps, no nipple puckering etc. A sample of the blood was sent to the lab and basically was ‘normal’ - made up of red and white bllod cells and little else. My surgeon thought that this was a papilloma but we agreed to cautiously wait over the Christmas and New Year period to see if the problem would settle. It didn’t! As the problem was beginning to irritate me I went ahead and had a dust (just one)removed 2 weeks ago. The op was longer than expected (I was in theatre for 2 hours)and I came back with a drip (soon discontinued) and a drain (about 15cm long and 0.5cm in diameter)and a pressure dressing (quite large). I only stayed in hospital for the day. I felt fine afterwards but did have a fair bit of ‘local’ in theatre to avoid any pain post-op, but my advice is take a couple of paracetamol a couple of hours later so that they ‘kick in’ before the local wears off. The drain was removed the following day - this was not pleasant - as it was inserted into the breast via the nipple (ouch!)so had to come out the same way! Take some pain killers 30 minutes before your appt time. I had the dressing removed on the 3 day post-op, and all that’s needed is a small soft gauze dressing to pop inside your bra. My advice is to get a soft, seam free bra to wear post op. I had 5 / 6 stitches (dissolvable) - 2 in the nipple and the rest in the areola area. After 8 days these were driving me to distraction as they didn’t really begin to dissolve and were becoming brittle and irritating (I wouldn’t say they were painful). One of the nurses in out patients snipped most of them out for me! I saw my surgeon again 2 weeks post op - he took out the last 2 stitches and the results were a papilloma (which was visible to the naked eye - very unusual apparently) which as we know is benign. The duct (ecstasia)was filled with bloody discharge but essentially normal for a 48 yr old. I can honestly say that the discomfort post-op was absolutely minimal. The scarring is virtually invisible, my nipple looks no different from before and I have no loss of sensitivity. I did have a week of sleepless nights but who wouldn’t? I was treated privately (in the Midlands)and received excellent care by all concerned - this was partly by choice but partly because I would not have been classed as ‘urgent’ by the NHS and I didn’t want to wait. I chose my surgeon with care by talking to professional colleagues at work (I am a nurse / midwife)and feel very positive about the whole experience. A papilloma does not make you more prone to Ca. Breast, of course some growths will be cancerous, but my advice would be to take up the offer of a removal and rest at ease. I had 2 weeks off work but a week would probably have been sufficient as I felt fine. Best wishes to all. I’ll gladly answer any other questions.
I am 43 years old. I found a lump in December 2010 - the Dr. just said it was a cyst and blew me off. Well about 2 or 3 months ago I started leaking from the same breast. They took a sample and it came back as saying abnormal cells and possible tumor. Followed up with a breast surgeon who said it could be a intraductal papilloma, this was on the 30th of August, scheduled my surgery for the 2nd of September. I am a little concerned and how fast they got me into surgery (what 2 day?. I had my nipple half way removed, still store and bruised - during the biospy part of the surgery they found something white, sent that off for testing and I won’t have results for the standard week to 10 days. Its too early to tell you about the side effects from the surgery but it is painful, I still feel like I have sensation - just won’t know probably for awhile. I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar story - with the “found something white” and sent it off scenario! Thanks for all the posts here and I so appreciate the similar stories and do believe that each have their differences and none can really compare with everything - we are all different. I have a history of breast cancer in my family - maybe that was the urgency. I hope. God Bless everyone and I hope all a speedy recover and good results with everything u are going through!
P.S. Having the surgery on Friday - I am back at work on Tuesday. So a total of 4 days for recovery.
Gmeyes just want to send you good wishes for your recovery and hope it isn’t anything too worrying but if you need support then your in the right place
Take care xx
Hello all, I’m new here, and I live in the states, Mississippi. I’m 40, and in May of this yr. I had a ruptured brain aneurysm, I am totally fine, no risiduals from it. God has been great to me! A week or 2 after I got home from staying in hosp. about a month, I had rusty colored discharge from right breast nipple at the top of it. I had seen stains in my bra for a long time, mostly thought it was sweating or dirty. I work out in the yard a lot with flowers and gardening. So when I saw it, I thought that can’t be from my breast, not leaking, so I squeezed it, and it was! I freaked out. I called the neurosurgeon that coiled my aneurysm and he said no, that’s not anything caused by what has happened to your head. He siad to go to the emergency room at the hospital where I was just treated for my aneurysm because I don’t have insurance. So I did, and this is a learning/teaching hospital in Jackson, MS. Anyway, I saw dr’s there and set me up for an appt. @ the breast cancer care clinic. They collected some of the discharge on a slide, and gave me an ultrasound, and to come back in 1 wk. Told me it was a papilloma, benign, and needed a biopsy. The next wk, we did that. While doing the biopsy, dr. said it was so small in the milk duct, could she take the entire tumor (lump), I said yes. I was awake for it, and they used a local to numb it. Came back noncancerous, thank God. So, it was done…so I thought. It’s been 2 months and the same discharge again. So I go back in, dr. says we need another ulrasound, we do that, and they can see the titanium clip they left in my breast (just in case they ever had to go back in there again), and she can also see yet another papilloma in the duct. She discusses intraductal papilloma removal surgery with me, or we could just watch it for a while. But if we just monitor it, we’ll never know exactly what it is doing. It could become infectious, cause blockage, or have more of them come up. So, since my mother’s mother had breast cancer, and I had benign tumors/cysts removed from my ovaries already at the age of 19, grandmother also had uterine cancer, I was already scared, so I said yes!, just remove the papilloma and the milk duct, I don’t mind, just get it out. So the surgery was on Sept. 30th, this past Friday. Right now, it is very sensitive. I think they must’ve done something with the nipple, the top of it anyway. I woke up with dermabond over the incision. It is only about an inch, inch & a half circular, like a half moon, over my nipple area in the darker skin of it. Said to let the dermabond (a clear, hardened film over the incision) gradually come off by itslef and the next day I could wash it gently with soap/water. This is the 2nd day after surgery, it’s not so bad, they just took one duct. Maybe that is why it not so bad? But the nipple is kinda raw on top and bra/clothes aggrevate it. Kinda sore to move the arm upward, it’s all about the muscles and surrounding tissues too I guess. I don’t have any disfiguration really, a mild indenture, but not bad at all. I hope that was the last of it. I’ve been going thru premenopause for a couple of yrs now. both mama and grandma went thru it at ages 35 and 36 also. Lucky I guess. I sure do appreciate everyone writing about their experiences, just wanted to write mine too. I go back to dr. on the 10th for follow up, hope all is well then, and can just relax from all the head and body trauma! LOL, I am just spent! I hope everyone of you is recovering well and doing ok.
im glad ive found this site, im about to have a total duct extraction, im gradually thinking about it more as in the last week i have found a lump, surgery is 10? days away but i have to go to the clinic tomorrow for this lump investigating.