Most breast surgery, particularly breast conserving surgery can be done as a day case procedure under a general anaesthetic. Lengthier operations such as mastectomies or therapeutic mammoplasties often involve an overnight stay, and breast reconstruction surgery may require you to stay in hospital for up to a week. Your surgeon and breast care nurse can advise you on how long you would be expected to need to stay.
Following discharge you will be visited at home by our team of Hospital at Home nurses. They will check your wound dressings, monitor any drains that have been left in and provide physiotherapy if required. The Hospital at Home team can be contacted on 07534960143.
You will also have the contact number for your Breast Care Nurse for any additional queries or concerns.
You will have been provided with follow up information, and usually we will be able to give you the results of your surgery the Friday afternoon following your operation. At this appointment we will discuss with you which additional treatments (adjuvant treatment) are recommended and arrange an appointment for you to meet an Oncologist to discuss these further.
We will also arrange for you to come back in a year’s time for a follow up mammogram followed by a clinical check in our Nurse-led follow up clinic. You may also have additional follow up appointments before that time if there is any wound healing problem or if you have had more complex surgeries such as therapeutic mammoplasty or reconstruction.
Serious problems following breast surgery are rare, but please report any ongoing concerns such as pain or discomfort or swelling of the breast or the arm. Breast surgery can result in ‘neuropathic’ pain which is due to irritation of the nerves and is commonly a prickling or burning sensation. This can be helped with particular types of drugs, and early intervention is helpful to avoid it becoming a long term problem. Swelling of the breast or arm can be due to lymphoedema and again this can be treated.