How to Know If Mastectomy Surgery is Painful

No surgery is without its discomfort. The level of that discomfort is a relative thing that is hard to know and understand before the procedure. In the case of a mastectomy surgery, there is plenty of information available before you go through it, so you can be well-prepared. Here are some steps on how to find out if mastectomy surgery is painful.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Talk to your doctor about the physical aspects of the operation. Know exactly what will be done during the surgery. Compare the mastectomy procedure to any other procedure you’ve had and how much pain you experienced in that to give you an idea of what to expect.
2. Ask family and friends who have experienced the surgery and get their opinions on how painful mastectomy surgery is. If they haven’t had a mastectomy, ask them if they know anyone who has gone through it and pay attention to what they are saying about it.
3. Attend a support group. Ask questions of the members who have gone through the surgery. Ask them about the particular aspects of post-surgery life, and the level of pain they experienced.
4. Research the procedure on the Internet, in scientific journals or through related magazine or newspaper articles. Find Web sites that have information about mastectomies such as breastcancer.org and the Surgery Channel Web site (see Resources). Print off those articles, highlight the sections that you find the most informative, and study them.
5. Understand that mastectomy surgery is a surgery and there will be pain involved. The mastectomy operation is pretty painless because you will be under anesthesia during the procedure. There will be some pain and swelling for a few days after the operation which is easily controlled with pain medication. Over the course of a couple weeks the pain will gradually subside.

Tips & Warnings

• Write down all the information you gather in your research and prepare questions for the next person you talk to or for your doctor. The more you learn about the experiences of others, the more prepared you will be.
• Ask your doctor about post-operation pain medication, but only use it if you feel the pain level is too high.
• No surgery is the same for 2 people. Expect to go through a similar situation, but know your surgery will be specific to you.