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What happens to your body after a mastectomy?
You may have “phantom sensations” or “phantom pain” in the months after mastectomy: As nerves regrow, you may feel a weird crawly sensation, you may itch, you may be very sensitive to touch, and you may feel pressure. Your discomfort may go away by itself, or it may persist but you adapt to it.
What are the long term effects of mastectomy?
After a mastectomy there is a long scar and an area of numbness across the chest, and sometimes the area around where you had surgery can become hard. If lymph nodes were removed as part of the surgery or affected during treatment, lymphoedema may occur, and this can happen many years after treatment.
How long does it take for nerves to heal after mastectomy?
Nerves take time to regenerate, because they grow at a rate of about 1 mm/day. It may take several months after your surgery before you notice sensation returning, and the change in sensation can continue to develop for up to two years.
What happens first week after mastectomy?
It’s normal to have pain and discomfort for the first week or so around the wound site. You may also have pain in your armpit (axilla) if you had surgery to your lymph nodes. Some people have a tingling feeling or tightness around the scar. This usually gets better, but it can take a few weeks.
Can radiotherapy have side effects years later?
Radiation to the brain can also have side effects that show up later – usually from 6 months to many years after treatment ends. These delayed effects can include serious problems such as memory loss, stroke-like symptoms, and poor brain function.
Does feeling ever return after mastectomy?
“For many women — especially young women or women undergoing prophylactic mastectomies — restoring sensation after mastectomy is life-changing.” However, she says regaining sensation is gradual, because nerves grow a millimeter a day.
What are the side effects of mastectomy?
Side effects of mastectomy
- Pain or tenderness of the surgery site.
- Swelling at the surgery site.
- Buildup of blood in the wound (hematoma)
- Buildup of clear fluid in the wound (seroma)
- Limited arm or shoulder movement.
- Numbness in the chest or upper arm.
Does mastectomy reduce estrogen?
Gradual tumor tissue devascularization during mastectomy is thought to decrease estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) receptor activity.