Single Mastectomy: What will Recovery Time be like? How long?

the idea of having a breast removed is shocking , so kept thoughts at bay. and the operation and recovery went really well . thought i'd be freaked out by the sight but no was just happy it was over with . it has been now 4 months . it's surprising how you adjust to how you look . i was home the next day . a lot of lymph nodes removed also . so had two draing tubes for 5 days . no pain whatsoever ever and neat scar . i would like other breast removed as annoying finding comfortable bras to balance chest . i'm an older woman , so imagine harder for a young woman . but the operation and after surgery is relatively easy .i found it easy to adjust . the worst was waiting for operation, so the unknown is always so much scarier than the actual, so try not dwell on operation as it makes no difference . i'm glad i had it done . and would not hesitate agsin .

Same here. Dont do the bilateral unless you know youre full comfortable with it right now. You can always have the other side done later but if you do both now and regret it, you cant undo that. Other factors for me where not knowing if i needed chemo, radiation, the infection risk that comes with those if you do recon (especially bilateral) all together. Also my surgeons kept stressing to me that double surgery = double surgical risks. My advice is always make sure you're 100% comfortable with what you're having done.

Yes, I still feel it was the right decision for me.

@sparkyf, Hi Deb. It looks like your surgery was almost a year ago. I'm facing a surgical decision and am leaning toward a single mastectomy and going flat on that side. I'm still waiting on the results of a recent biopsy to see if lumpectomy is even still an option. After living with your decision for the past year, do you feel that you would make the same decision today?

I had a single mastectomy with removal of 3 lymph nodes on September 26. After 2 and a half weeks, the pain was mostly gone. I only took Tylenol alternating with ibuprofen. I took Tramadol only the first two nights.
They had me do stretching exercises two days after surgery and that hurt, especially under my arm where the nodes ere removed. Once my drain was removed a week later, I had new stretching exercises twice a day. I also started back on my power walks for 30 minutes every day and am now back to my regular 45-minute walks. I sometimes forget I even had surgery and it’s been almost 4 weeks.
I had imagined I would have a lot more pain, but I don’t.
I pray you have a similar experience.

I had surgery on Tuesday. I've been taking Tylenol for pain. Saturday I have tenderness and the stingers are gone when I move.

@sparkyf, I think you might also appreciate these related discussions:
- What Are Your Best Tips for Before and After a Mastectomy?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-are-your-best-tips-for-before-and-after-a-mastectomy/
- Bilateral Mastectomy without Reconstruction Recovery Timeline
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/bilateral-mastectomy-without-reconstruction-recovery-timeline/
- What to expect before during and after mastectomy
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-to-expect-before-during-and-after-mastectomy/
- Exercise and Physical Activity after Breast Cancer Surgery
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/exercise-and-physical-activity-after-breast-cancer-surgery/
Has your surgeon talked to you about exercise and movement post mastectomy?

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/990783
There is a 2022 study that indicates the use of lidocaine for pain during surgery inhibits the growth of cancer cells. My surgeon in 2022 did not mention it so getting more info seems reasonable. My single mastectomy healed well but now the scar is kinda funny looking. Hope you do well.

I had a double mastectomy in January. No reconstruction so recovery was very straightforward. They gave me a nerve block just prior to surgery and that lasted about 3 days. I only took Tylenol and advil at home after surgery for a few days. I was back to running after about 6 weeks. I hope your surgery goes well for you!

@clynnford
My breast surgeon put the anesthesia pump (aka pain pump or infusion pump) in as a surprise. They sometimes do that post-op for different surgeries to keep the area numbed up for about 3 days so you don't feel pain and don't need pain meds. It has been 10 years, but the way I remember it, it was a lot like the drain with an extra item hanging from me and a tube going in that was easily removed in 3 days. Now I want that with any surgery and will always ask if I can have it. My pump had bupivacaine in it. I read they can also use lidocaine in it. I don't know if I would have had pain without it, but I was happy I didn't have pain in my chest. 🙂