What should I expect from my lumpectomy surgery for stage 1 breast cancer?

You mean lumpectomy? It wasn’t bad. I went home right after and ate and slept. Was a little sore the next day but tylenol and ibuprofen were enough. I went back to work the third day. I did not have drains and no lymph nodes were removed. They send you home in a special bra and you will need to wear it for weeks, forget underwire. The steri strips came off in about 2 weeks. My scar is very small. The area under it is lumpy, they say scar tissue. Sometimes if i bump a certain part of the breast i get a twinge of pain.

I will have two of my lymph nodes removed for testing and radiation. Thank God I tested negative for genetic testing.

Lumpectomy is a common and effective treatment for early-stage breast cancer, and it's completely natural to want to hear from others who've been through this experience. Many community members have shared that knowing what to expect helped them feel more prepared and less anxious going into surgery - hopefully others here will share their experiences with recovery time, post-surgery care, and what helped them most during the healing process.

Hi. I had a lumpectomy in June. Went home right after. Didn’t have any nodes taken out. Tylenol was enough. Had to wear the special bra for three weeks. Went for 20 rounds of radiation. I am doing good. After surgery was sore for a few days. Ice was great. Good luck

I had lumpectomy and sentinel node removal on mid-Nov. I took the entire week off work, plus the following Monday. Follow the icing protocol, it helps a lot. I had to wear a sports bra 24-7 for first two weeks - front zip, find one that you like a buy a few. Pain was manageable alternating Tylenol and Advil the first 48 hrs, then dropped frequency and used mostly Tylenol. If you are also having sentinel lymph node removal, be prepared for that armpit incision and the surrounding area to have the most discomfort. I also bought Juven, and wound healing drink powder that a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon highly recommended. My breast surgeon was very pleased with my healing at my 2 wk post op visit. Be kind to yourself most of all. ❤️

I had a lumpectomy in December and will start radiation next month. I had my lumpectomy on a Friday and was back at work on Monday. I recommend not relying on the compression bra they put on during surgery. I'm a D cup and it was too small. I bought several front closing compression bras off Amazon. I'm an XL in those bras. They'll likely prescribe a short term pain med. I found Extra Strength Tylenol worked fine. I found a pregnancy pillow helps with sleep and I got a cushioned sleeve for my seat belt. You can search lumpectomy products on Amazon and it will pop these products.