6 Tips to Help You Through Your Mastectomy Recovery

More than 100,000 women in the U.S. have a mastectomy every year. During a mastectomy, breast tissue is removed. A mastectomy is usually performed to treat breast cancer. In some cases, it may be done preventively in people with a very high risk of developing breast cancer.  

Mastectomies can be life-saving, but they can raise a lot of emotions and questions about what to expect after the surgery. If you and your family know what to expect after mastectomy, recovery can feel a lot less intimidating. 

Keep reading to learn about mastectomy recovery time and how to care for yourself after mastectomy.

How long does it take to recover after a mastectomy?

It usually takes 3 to 6 weeks to recover after a mastectomy. People who have breast reconstructive surgery after mastectomy can take longer to recover — 8 weeks or more.

Recovery can vary depending on what sort of activity you’re trying to return to. Most people can go back to work and their everyday activities in a month or two. But it might be longer before you can get back to your normal exercise routine. And some mastectomy scars can take up to 2 years to fully heal.

Healing time after mastectomy also varies from person to person. Factors that can affect your mastectomy recovery timeline include: 

• Your overall health and activity levels before surgery 

• Pain levels after surgery

• The type of mastectomy you had 

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• Need more information about breast cancer? GoodRx’s breast cancer guide is the place to start.

What to expect while recovering from a mastectomy

After your mastectomy, you’ll spend some time in the hospital while your surgical team prepares you to safely return home. It’s common to stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 days, but you may need to stay up to a week depending on the type of surgery.  

Here’s what to expect during your recovery from a mastectomy.

Pain and numbness

Pain and numbness in your chest, armpit, and abdomen or back are common after surgery. These symptoms are normal as nerves and tissues heal. You can usually manage postmastectomy pain with:

• Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications (like Advil or Tylenol)

• Prescription pain medications (like opioids or gabapentin)

• Cold therapy

• Gentle arm exercises

Pain after mastectomy typically gets better within 6 weeks of surgery. When pain lasts longer than 3 months, it’s considered chronic. Some people develop discomfort in the chest wall, armpit, and arm that doesn’t go away, called postmastectomy pain syndrome. 

If your pain doesn’t improve in the first weeks after your surgery, contact your care team to reassess your pain management plan. 

Surgical drain care

When you go home, you may still have surgical drains in place. These help collect blood and other fluids as your body heals. This helps prevent complications. 

Surgical drains are usually removed within 1 to 3 weeks — once there’s no longer a lot of drainage. You’ll learn how to care for your drain before leaving the hospital. This typically includes: 

• Emptying drains a few times a day

• Keeping the area around your stitches clean

• Taking modified showers (like a sponge bath) until drains are removed

• Watching for signs of infections (including fever, skin redness around the drains, or drainage with pus)

Sleep position changes

Sleep is important for mastectomy recovery. But many people experience trouble sleeping after mastectomy. Pain and limited use of your arms and upper body can make it hard to find a comfortable position for sleep. It can also be hard to sleep because of the emotional stress related to a cancer diagnosis.

Sleep should feel more comfortable within a few weeks after surgery. To help get better sleep as you heal, try:

• Sleeping on your back with your upper body elevated

• Sleeping in a recliner

• Optimizing your routine before bed for the best sleep hygiene

• Using a cold compress for 10-15 minutes before bed to reduce pain in the breast

Driving restrictions

You shouldn’t drive immediately after mastectomy. Most people are advised to avoid driving for about 3 weeks or until:

• You are no longer taking opioid pain medications.

• Pain is improved and you have full strength and use of your arms and trunk.

• Surgical drains are removed.

Lifting and exercising your arms

Depending on the type of surgery, you may have certain lifting and exercising restrictions for the first 4 weeks. This is to protect healing tissues. But gentle, range-of-motion exercises can actually help your recovery. Exercise can help ease breast cancer treatment side effects, and improve your risk for future recurrence. 

Your surgery team will give you safe exercises to start immediately after your surgery. It can also help to see a physical therapist who specializes in oncologic rehabilitation. They’ll give you more exercises and stretches for your specific needs and goals. 

6 self-care tips for healing after a mastectomy

Each person’s recovery after mastectomy is different. But there are many shared challenges among breast cancer survivors. You can use knowledge from other people who have gone through similar experiences to guide you through recovery from mastectomy. Some ways to care for yourself after mastectomy include the following. 

1. Follow your postoperative instructions

Your surgical team will give you specific self-care instructions after mastectomy. These instructions will help you keep your incisions clean and tissues safe as you heal. 

But the amount of instruction you receive after surgery can be overwhelming. It may be hard to remember it all later. Try taking notes for yourself. Or ask a family member or friend to accompany you during appointments so they can help you remember things later. 

2. Eat nutritious foods 

A nutritious and balanced diet gives your body the tools it needs to heal. Immediately after surgery, your stomach may be upset, so you may want to start with bland foods. When you’re feeling a bit better, look for foods to eat after surgery that are rich in: 

• Zinc

• Protein

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin C

These nutrients help your body heal after surgery. Also, try to incorporate whole foods and foods rich in fiber to help prevent constipation from cancer treatments. 

3. Support your body during sleep

Sleep is important for both pain management and immune function. After mastectomy, try to sleep on your back with:

• Two or three thick pillows behind your back so that your upper body inclines about 30-45 degrees

• A pillow under each arm so that your arms are supported to the height of your upper body or higher

• A wedge or thick pillow under your knees to support your low back

Or you can look for specialized sleep pillows and wedges that support your body comfortably during sleep.

4. Take care of your scar 

Scarring is a normal part of how your body heals after mastectomy. But sometimes scars are uncomfortable. They can feel tight and painful. Scars may also have an undesired cosmetic appearance, especially if excess scar tissue builds up, called hypertrophic scars or keloids. The appearance of scars after surgery can add to the emotional toll of a cancer diagnosis.

Scar care like gentle massage, moisturizing, and sun protection can improve scar appearance after surgery. Your treatment team may give you specific guidelines to follow to help support you through scar healing.

5. Look after your mental health 

Your mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical recovery from mastectomy. Studies show that mastectomy can have a significant impact on self-esteem and mental health. It can be challenging to bring up this aspect of your recovery with your healthcare team and family. But there are lots of resources specifically for breast cancer patients — from one-on-one counseling to online and in-person support groups. 

6. Consider products designed for people healing from mastectomy

There’s a growing market to support people after mastectomy. Here are a few examples of products that can make life easier during recovery:

• Seat belt pillow

• Clothes with hidden pockets to hold surgical drains

• Clothes that are easy to get in and out of

• Multipurpose bras with features like compression, front closure, and drain hooks

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Ashley Rawlins, PT, DPT

With over a decade of experience as a physical therapist, Ashley has established herself as a specialist in pelvic health. Her diverse career spans clinical practice, academia, and health content creation.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

Reviewed by:

Christine Giordano, MD

Christine Giordano, MD, is board-certified in general internal medicine. She received her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and completed residency at Thomas Jefferson University.

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