Home / What's going on? / Mastectomy recovery
Post-operative care · South Berkeley
Lymphatic Drainage After Mastectomy. I have stayed with clients through several surgeries.
Breast surgery is often a series rather than one event. There may be a mastectomy, expanders, reconstruction, revision, and sometimes radiation between procedures. I work with people through those different stages, not only during the first few weeks after surgery.
- Clearance
- Your medical team decides
- Also covers
- Lumpectomy, reconstruction, revision
- Watching for
- Lymphedema, cording, restriction
- First step
- A free phone call with me
What changes in that quadrant
Node removal changes the whole picture.
If lymph nodes were removed from your armpit, or that area was treated with radiation, the chest and arm on that side may have less drainage capacity. That does not mean you will develop lymphedema, but it does mean the area is worth watching over time.
Early on, I focus on swelling, comfort, and helping your arm move more easily. Later, we pay attention to heaviness, tightness, or other early signs that fluid is beginning to build.
Cording, also called axillary web syndrome, is another thing people are not always warned about. It can feel like tight, painful strings running from the armpit down the inner arm and may limit how far you can reach. It is much less frightening once you know what it is.
Staying ahead of the fluid is far easier than letting it get away and then trying to bring it back.
What this helps with
What I help with through each stage.
I need your surgeon or oncology team to clear you before we begin.
Post-surgical swelling
This may affect the chest, armpit, or arm. It is the most common reason people call after surgery.
Range of motion
Helping your arm move comfortably again matters, especially when radiation or another procedure is ahead.
Cording
Tight, painful strands may run from the armpit into the arm. Gentle work may help them move.
Expanders and reconstruction
Each stage brings its own swelling and tightness. I adjust the work to where you are.
Lymphedema risk
I help you watch for heaviness or tightness, especially before swelling becomes visible.
Scars, later
Once the incision is closed, scar work may help tightness that limits chest or arm movement.
Timing
Your team decides, and I work inside it.
I ask you to talk with your surgeon or oncologist about lymphatic drainage and tell me what they said. If they want you to wait, we wait.
Drains, radiation, and reconstruction stages affect timing. Bring the written instructions your team gave you.
Some people call me years later because an arm has started to feel heavy and nobody warned them that could happen. It is not too late. That is a good time to get it assessed and make a plan.
Worth saying plainly
Where my work ends.
I do not treat cancer
MLD is supportive care. It does not treat, shrink, or cure cancer.
I do not diagnose lymphedema
If I think you need a medical assessment, I will tell you clearly and help you work out who to call and what to ask.
Anything sudden goes to your team
Call your team for redness, warmth, fever, sudden swelling, or incision concerns.
I do not do wound care
If an incision opens, we stop. Your team handles it, and I return when they say it is safe.
Before you call
Questions people ask me.
How soon after a mastectomy can I have lymphatic drainage?
Your surgeon and oncology team decide. The answer depends on drains, the stage of reconstruction, and whether radiation is planned. Ask them and tell me exactly what they said.
What is cording, and can you help?
Cording can feel like tight, painful strings running from the armpit down the inner arm. It may limit how far you can reach. Gentle hands-on work can help, and it is much less frightening once you know what you are feeling.
Will I get lymphedema?
Nobody can tell you for certain. Risk depends partly on how many lymph nodes were removed and whether the area was treated with radiation. What matters is knowing that heaviness and tightness may come before visible swelling.
It has been years and my arm feels heavy. Is it too late?
No. Lymphedema can show up months or years after treatment. Get the arm assessed so you can access the right care and compression if needed, then call me about ongoing support.
Can you work between reconstruction stages?
Yes, once your team clears it. Each stage brings different swelling, so I adjust the work to fit.
Can you work on my mastectomy scars?
Yes, once the incision is closed and your surgeon is satisfied. I use my hands and Dolphin microcurrent on tight chest scars that may limit movement.
You may also want
These may help too.
The next step
Tell me what stage you are in now.
Set up a free 15-minute call and tell me the surgery or treatment you had, where you are now, and what your medical team said. I will tell you where I may fit and when it may be safe to begin.