If you’ve been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, your oncology care team may recommend a lumpectomy to remove the tumor and some of the surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. There are a few different types of lumpectomy procedures, so your experience and recovery time depend on various factors. It’s important to understand what you’ll be going through and what you can expect after the procedure.
A lumpectomy is commonly used for patients with an early breast cancer diagnosis. It’s typically a short outpatient procedure and most patients are able to go home on the same day. During the procedure, a surgeon removes the tumor and some of the nearby tissue, often along with nearby lymph nodes, to ensure that all the cancer is removed. While a mastectomy is a surgery that removes the entire breast, a lumpectomy is often referred to as breast-conserving surgery since it leaves the rest of the breast intact. The procedure on its own can take up to 40 minutes and usually requires general anesthesia, so you are asleep during the surgery. Depending on the extent of your procedure, you may only need local anesthesia (sometimes mixed with an IV with a sedative).
How long is the recovery after a lumpectomy?
Once you’ve been moved to recovery, your care team will monitor your vitals and most patients are able to go home after the anesthesia wears off. If breast reconstruction is done at the same time as the lumpectomy or if there were additional complexities during the procedure, you may need an extra day or two of monitoring.
Recovery after your lumpectomy depends on different factors including the extent of your surgery, lifestyle, and your overall health. The rate of healing can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, so it’s best to follow the specific instructions your care team provides with your discharge papers. Below are some general guidelines you can follow after your procedure:
- Rest the affected side: Try not to overuse your arm and avoid any additional pressure to the area. Think about sleeping on your back for a few days until you’re feeling better.
- Wash your incision: Follow your care team’s instructions and schedule for keeping the affected area clean and dry to avoid infection.
- Avoid tugging: Lay off the bandage and stay away from the stitches. They should dissolve on their own and any steri-strips used during the procedure will eventually fall off.
- Recognize your pain: Understand that your incision might cause some postsurgical pain, pinching, or numbness. This is normal and your doctor may prescribe you medication to manage the pain or recommend over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen.
- Wear a bra: While it might not sound comfortable, your instructions might say to wear a bra to help support the affected breast.
- Prioritize your mental health: Don’t neglect your emotional well-being and find effective strategies that help you relax.
Movement is also another component of your recovery. Although heavy lifting and strenuous activity aren’t recommended immediately after surgery, simple arm exercises or walks can help avoid stiffness. Your surgeon will provide instructions on how you can safely incorporate movement back into your routine.
If you notice the signs of infection (e.g. fever, pus, discharge), notify your care team immediately.
After about two weeks, you’ll likely have a follow-up appointment with members of your care team to check in on your progress and review pathology test results based on the tumor tissue and lymph nodes that were removed to determine your next steps for treatment. Depending on your diagnosis, your oncologist will probably recommend radiation therapy, which is considered a standard follow-up to the lumpectomy, or different drug therapies.
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