Occasionally the axilla will not require treatment or other methods of treating the axilla, such as radiotherapy, will be discussed with you. Drain tubes are placed within the wound during the operation. These will be removed a few days later. It is not usually painful. Expect to be in hospital for only a few days.
Most patients prefer to be at home.
About a week after your operation you will return to see your doctor for your results. By then the tissue removed at the operation will have been looked at under the microscope, and the pathologist will have sent a report to your doctor. With this information, your doctor can advise you about other treatments such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy or radiotherapy. The recovery period is usually short and most women have returned more or less to normal activity within a few weeks. Usually radiotherapy is not required when the whole breast has been removed.