Post L) mastectomy.

Some ladies only a couple days in hopsital at most  , then a at home nurse to check drains and teach you how to care for it. Depends on your surgeon and what hospital , how you are, hopefully no reactions or other health issues etc. Drains can be a week, to a few weeks, everyones body reacts differently and produces different amt exudate.  Tape to stop the pipe moving about and agrivating the hole, diligent following the instructions  they give you for wound care , make sure you ask before you leave  who to call  if you have after hours and weekend questions or if get any signs of infection , make sur e you know what temperature, what signs need medical attention , it probably won't happen , but always best to be prepared.

My single masectomy  was so long ago ( 18yrs)  and i was in a private hospital and begged to stay as i had two kids at home so managed to stretch it to 7 days  when the one drian came out. But the drains they use now are so different and hospital stays are much, much  shorter no matter what.

Well you ladies are amazing. I spent 5 days in hospital post op and left with a drain insitu, that I have now had for nearly 2 weeks. I am miserable and  uncomfortable and have been in so much pain. This entire experience has be damn awful. If I get cancer in my other breast. I'd rather die.

I have been trying not to stretch or move too much. But my entire left side just feels SO tight and the drain is freaking painful. If it moves it's SO sore. I haven't been able to sleep but flat on my back, under my arm pit is SO sore, yet numb also. Weird. 

All in all this has not been a good experience. I'm never going through this again. I seriously would rather take the chance of dying.

Hi, TannieT,  I had a right side mastectomy in April and was in Hospital one night. The surgeon mentioned that it’s now day surgery in the U.S. but I could stay an extra night if I felt I needed it. I couldn’t wait to get out. Very difficult to sleep with code blues and various doctors being urgently called throughout the night plus regular observations. I went home with a drain which didn’t work well. I had so much fluid building up that it looked as though I’d regrown a breast.  Like mgl and Afraser I had many aspirations. I was advised it wasn’t a seroma but a blood fluid that rushes to  a wound with tissue damage. It troubled me at the time, but it did finally clear up and now I have an excellent flat result. The drain stayed in for 5 days. All of us in the Group end you lots of healing hugs. We’ve been where you’re going, you will come through and life will be good again. 

Thanks. They said to expect 3 - 5 days in hospital. And yes. Drains will just be depending on drainage. He said he rarely sends anyone home with drains. They tend to not push us out of hospital here. Regional city with plenty of private hospital beds and I'm going private. I'm happy to stay in as long as I need to. 

i had a right mastectomy in june. was in hospital 2 nights (surgery was late and didnt get back to ward till 10pm). had 1 drain which was in for 3 weeks - it fell out and then still needed aspirating afterwards for fluid build up. i must  be very fluid but everyone will tell you its all individual. you just have to go with it, dont be in a rush to get the drains out, you get used to them. hope this helps

I was in hospital for four days and left without a drain (I had two). While I had quite definitely stopped leaking fluid (and healed quickly and effectively, with excellent arm mobility), I did develop a persistent seroma some time later, which defied aspirations (I had several) and utimately led to an infection (all those excellent nutrients unfortunately feed bad bacteria that we all have in our bodies). However this is unusual. 

But how long you may need drains depends on your own body and your surgeon's preferences - be guided by the specialists. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. 

I had left mastectomy 4 weeks ago, I was one night in hospital and had no drainage tube as the surgeon thought it was manageable due to my small breasts. I had an aspiration of 170ml a week post surgery and have not needed it again, although there is fluid, it is dissipating now.