I am 2 weeks post surgery and have noticed a swelling beside my scar. I have also been finding the scar area to be more achy than when I came out of hospital. I am also nauseous. Should I be concerned?
Good morning. I had a lumpectomy 8 days ago. First 6 days were absolutely fine but I went for a full shower that day and swelling immediately came up in my armpit area around the SLNB cut. It was instant and, wow, did that hurt or what?! I also felt really quite queasy that day, think because of the pain. It has eased since then but I spoke to BCN for reassurance. They said it was nothing to be overly concerned about - natural seroma created during healing which can move (it does, I can feel it!). They said if it became worse or very uncomfortable I can go and have it checked out so I would suggest calling your BCN to hopefully get some reassurance. Hope the rest of your recovery goes well. x
1 Like
Hi lindag_1,
Thanks for posting your question.
Having some swelling after surgery, either in the breast or under the arm (axilla) is common and will usually settle over time. As @southwest123 has said, do call your breast care nurse or treatment team to let them know so they can assess the symptoms you have. They may want to see you in the clinic to make sure there are no signs of infection.
Some people find wearing a soft supportive bra can help reduce the discomfort after surgery.
It is also common to have some nausea after surgery, this is often related to the anaesthetic or pain relief medications. Do also mention this to your treatment team, as it has not improved.
We offer a range of free supportive services for anyone affected by breast cancer which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events.
For more details about all of these services, please see the information on the link, or call our free helpline
You are also welcome to call our helpline if you would like to talk things 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. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks. The number is 0808 800 6000, (Relay UK -prefix 18001).
If you would prefer one of our nurses to call you. To do this, please complete this form ticking the box agreeing to a call back.
Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am -1pm on Saturday.
Out of hours you can leave a message and we will call you back when we next open.
Best wishes
Cassie
Breast Care Nurse
Please read the Ask Our Nurses disclaimer Full details on how we collect and use your data can be found in our Privacy Policy
As we are unable to monitor for further replies, this thread will now be closed. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread, call our helpline, email us or request a call back.