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Carol Carlson · 02-25-2008, 06:32 PM

Hi Beth,
I had a partial mastectomy and SNB first . 3/4 nodes were postive and 2 weeks later had an axillary node dissection. They removed 14 nodes and I had drain put in which stayed in, as I recall , about a week. After they removed the drain, I had to have aspirations of fluid via needle aspiration to remove the excesss fluid. My arm pit felt very hard for a long time ---- how long I don't remember but it did gradually soften.
I think that the lymphatic fluid simply has to find new pathways for lymph
drainage as well as the healing of the scar tissue. You could almost see pockets of tissue that appeared fluid filled. As I said all of this eventually subsided. You may need more fluid removed via needle aspiration. But the " hardness" you speak off' I remember quite well.
I am not a doctor, but if you have increased swellng, redness, inflammation, heat from the site, drainage that doesn't look like "normal" colored drainage from incisional site or any other indications that it might not be a normal healing process, by all means have it checked out.
Good luck with it all.
Carol C.

02-25-2008, 06:32 PM	#5
Carol Carlson Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 77	Hi Beth, I had a partial mastectomy and SNB first . 3/4 nodes were postive and 2 weeks later had an axillary node dissection. They removed 14 nodes and I had drain put in which stayed in, as I recall , about a week. After they removed the drain, I had to have aspirations of fluid via needle aspiration to remove the excesss fluid. My arm pit felt very hard for a long time ---- how long I don't remember but it did gradually soften. I think that the lymphatic fluid simply has to find new pathways for lymph drainage as well as the healing of the scar tissue. You could almost see pockets of tissue that appeared fluid filled. As I said all of this eventually subsided. You may need more fluid removed via needle aspiration. But the " hardness" you speak off' I remember quite well. I am not a doctor, but if you have increased swellng, redness, inflammation, heat from the site, drainage that doesn't look like "normal" colored drainage from incisional site or any other indications that it might not be a normal healing process, by all means have it checked out. Good luck with it all. Carol C.