Lowengail, I'm so glad to hear that your friend's surgery was less than a month ago. It sounds like she's well within the 3- to 6-week recovery time that a mastectomy seems to require.
From doing some research, it seems like hematoma is a relatively common complication after mastectomy surgery. There's such a large wound inflicted on the body in a major surgery that some blood can get trapped in the wound. Also, many tiny blood vessels are cut during the surgery. In the case of a bruise (which is also a hematoma), the blood is resorbed into the body. In the case of your friend's hematoma, the drainage itself may be keeping her wound from healing as fast as expected. Her doctor may be able to drain it if she or he thinks it would be of benefit to her. But keeping the incision slightly open can relieve pressure and allow any interior bleeding to be absorbed by bandages, also, so some doctors allow this slow drainage to occur.
Here's a general information page about hematomas, which describes heat therapy and pressure therapy:
And here's a Mayo Clinic page that includes some good information about the drains your friend probably had after the surgery (but has since had removed?)
I wonder if your friend would benefit by a Reach to Recovery volunteer? Volunteers are breast cancer survivors who know the territory and also have up-to-date information. There might be one in your friend's area who has experience with difficult healing. Here's a page on Reach to Recovery with a link to the American Cancer Society page where you can enter a zip code and find a volunteer in specific areas:
Signs of infection at a wound or incision site are inflammation, extra redness, being warm to the touch (like it has a fever), pain or drainage of a foul-smelling liquid. If your friend is experiencing any of these symptoms, she definitely should ask for another appointment with her doctor. Otherwise, help her realize that she's well within the healing guidelines for major surgery like mastectomy and to not let stress bring her down. She is in a difficult time right now and she's lucky to have you for a friend.
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Lowengail, I'm so glad to hear that your friend's surgery was less than a month ago. It sounds like she's well within the 3- to 6-week recovery time that a mastectomy seems to require.
From doing some research, it seems like hematoma is a relatively common complication after mastectomy surgery. There's such a large wound inflicted on the body in a major surgery that some blood can get trapped in the wound. Also, many tiny blood vessels are cut during the surgery. In the case of a bruise (which is also a hematoma), the blood is resorbed into the body. In the case of your friend's hematoma, the drainage itself may be keeping her wound from healing as fast as expected. Her doctor may be able to drain it if she or he thinks it would be of benefit to her. But keeping the incision slightly open can relieve pressure and allow any interior bleeding to be absorbed by bandages, also, so some doctors allow this slow drainage to occur.
Here's a general information page about hematomas, which describes heat therapy and pressure therapy:
http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/677/main.html
And here's a Mayo Clinic page that includes some good information about the drains your friend probably had after the surgery (but has since had removed?)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mastectomy/WO00113
I wonder if your friend would benefit by a Reach to Recovery volunteer? Volunteers are breast cancer survivors who know the territory and also have up-to-date information. There might be one in your friend's area who has experience with difficult healing. Here's a page on Reach to Recovery with a link to the American Cancer Society page where you can enter a zip code and find a volunteer in specific areas:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ESN/content/ESN_3_1x_Reach_to_Recovery_5.a...
Signs of infection at a wound or incision site are inflammation, extra redness, being warm to the touch (like it has a fever), pain or drainage of a foul-smelling liquid. If your friend is experiencing any of these symptoms, she definitely should ask for another appointment with her doctor. Otherwise, help her realize that she's well within the healing guidelines for major surgery like mastectomy and to not let stress bring her down. She is in a difficult time right now and she's lucky to have you for a friend.
October 28, 2008 - 4:44pmThis Comment
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