Drain pain

joannag

Hi all
I am two weeks post left nipple saving mastectomy on left with implant reconstruction. Pathology after surgery found cancer in lymph nodes so I had a lymph clearance one week ago. 

 I have found the recovery from the lymph surgery so much more painful and my drain site seems to be where the pain is coming from. The tube continually looks blocked with clots. The breast care nurse tried “milking” the drain today but it was so painful. 

Just looking to hear whether this is a common experience or whether I should be trying to get the tubes changed? 

Thanks all

unicorn3

Sorry to see you join this page that you probably didn’t want to. 

I had a mastectomy and full lymph node clearance back in March with two drains, first one came out two days after surgery, the second one like yours was very painful and also seemed to be blocked and nothing collecting in the bag
I ended up begging them to remove it after 10 days and sure enough it was blocked, they put a special drain bag over the hole for a few days to see if anything else was going to drain which it didn’t so that came off too and then 24 hours later the site decided it was going to drain by itself and I was mopping up fluid and just putting my own dressing over it every few hours and eventually it stopped and healed fine. 

All this was done in consultation with my surgeon who said if a seroma formed from removing the drain he could just syringe it away but it didn’t happen. 
2 weeks seems long enough for the drain to have done its job but every one and every surgeon have different protocols so best to contact them 
Best wishes 

joannag

Thanks so much for the reply! 

I hope things are going ok with you now. I am hoping the second drain that has been in for one week will come out tomorrow, hoping to avoid too much fluid. Every day is a new challenge!!