Graphic photo - 2nd day after mastectomy - is this normal?

Question

Hi everyone, I was hoping to get some advice.

I had a single skin/nipple sparing mastectomy 2 days ago (16th April), with an expander. I’ve just had a look and it looks terrible.

I don’t mind the bruising, but I’m concerned about how pink/red & warm the skin is getting. The skin is also becoming more and more numb. & the nipple is stinging. I’ve attached some pictures.

The nurse said it’s fine but I haven’t seen a specialist yet. She also said pain is good and I should try not to have another painkiller - is that true? Should I request to speak to my surgeon?

Im pretty upset about how off centre the nipple is and how unnatural the shape is. Does anyone know why it looks so wrinkled & empty at the outer bottom part? Can this be fixed/does it get better with time?

Sorry if I have rambled a little bit - the pain meds are making me a bit hazy.

I’d really appreciate any advice x

Photos removed at members request.

julez1958 · Answer

Hi In October last year I had a skin sparing mastectomy&nbsp;but with nipple removed &nbsp;( my plastic surgeon said because I was an E cup it would be extremely difficult to keep the nipple.)I think your breast looks pretty good for day 2 compared to mine.I had a lot of bruising and swelling ( as well as a lot of pain) and the swelling and bruising didn’t go down for about 3 weeks.So I think just give it a little time.The breast used to also get hot &nbsp;and tight and this only settled down after about 6 weeks and then when I started radiotherapy 9 weeks after the surgery it stirred it up again.Have a look at the Choosing Breast Reconstruction &nbsp;Group &nbsp;on here for lots of helpful stories including photos.

julez1958 · Answer

Sorry I meant also to say that any concerns should be raised with your surgeon , my breast surgeon and plastic surgeon looked in on me every day of my 6 day hospital stay.

newboobspls · Answer

@Skbr the redness looks normal to me. Here are my photosSecond photo is day 1 post surgery first photo was day 4.Hang in there!&nbsp;Take the pain meds when you need them.The endone made me hazy but you can ask for just panadol if you dont like the scattered feeling.Sending love.

afraser · Answer

Hi @Skbr I don’t have first hand experience but I am sure someone who has will come on soon to provide some better informed feedback. But it is early days! Bruising and swelling will make it hard to accurately gauge the result for a while yet. As for pain, the nurse may well prefer you not to rely too much on painkillers, but she’s not the one hurting. It’s a major operation and we can all understand how much you want to look normal, soon. But all procedures take time, surgery included. I’d talk to your surgeon on both counts, if only for reassurance. Best wishes.&nbsp;

flclover · Answer

Hi @Skbr Everything looks pretty normal, although it does look quite red. And I’m not sure why your skin is wrinkled up like that at the bottom where you mentioned. I had white cone like things covering my nipples and half my breasts for about 9 days post surgery, so I don’t know what they looked like then. But that’s actually how expanders look. They’re rigid and tight and make the breast look like it’s stuck on. It’ll take it time to settle, then look a bit better. And after the next stage of recon it should look much better. Def have your surgeon check it though. It’s surprising she hasn’t come to see you yet. Maybe the registrar has come by instead? Just request that she comes, it’s their job to do so. And def take a pain killer every 4 hours or so. I was given them every 4 hours while in hospital and encouraged to take them, because it’s harder to heal when you’re in pain.&nbsp;

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Graphic photo - 2nd day after mastectomy - is this normal?

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