Medical Oncologist
Your operation
What happens on the day of breast cancer surgery
You arrive early having eaten nothing since the night before, wait longer than you expect, answer the same questions several times, and wake in recovery with the operation over. Most of the day is waiting. This page walks through it hour by hour, what to pack, and the one thing the day will not give you.
MM
Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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15,000+patients treated
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The short answer
What actually happens on the day?
You arrive early, usually having eaten nothing since the night before. There is a long wait, several people ask you the same questions, the operation itself takes a couple of hours, and you wake in recovery with the whole thing over. Most of the day is waiting.
Why the waiting is the hard part
Theatre lists run in order and yours may be later than you hoped. Bring a phone charger and someone to sit with you. Almost every woman says afterwards that the anticipation was worse than anything that happened.
The repeated questions are deliberate
You will be asked your name, your date of birth, which breast and which operation, many times by different people. This is a safety check, not disorganisation. Your surgeon will also mark the correct side with a pen while you are awake.
Hour by hour
How the day usually runs
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The night before
Stop eating at the time you were told, usually from midnight. Clear fluids are often allowed later than food. Take your regular medicines unless you were told otherwise, and remove nail varnish and jewellery.
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Arrival and admission
Paperwork, consent if it was not signed earlier, and a hospital gown. You will be weighed and your blood pressure taken, and asked again when you last ate.
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Meeting the team
Your surgeon marks the correct side with a pen and confirms the operation. The anaesthetist checks your teeth, your neck movement and your past anaesthetic history.
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Localisation, if you need it
If your cancer cannot be felt, you go to the imaging department first to have a wire or seed placed. This adds a few hours to the morning.
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The operation
You walk or are wheeled to theatre, a cannula goes into your hand, and you are asleep within a minute. A lumpectomy with a node procedure usually takes one to two hours; a mastectomy with reconstruction takes considerably longer.
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Recovery and the ward
You wake in a recovery area with a nurse beside you, often feeling cold and groggy. Once you are stable you return to the ward. Ask for pain relief rather than waiting to be offered it.
Packing
What to bring with you
- All your reports, scans and your admission letter
- Every medicine you take, in its own packet
- A front-opening top, since raising your arms will be sore
- A soft, non-wired bra if your team advised one
- Phone, charger and a long cable
- Insurance or scheme papers and identity proof
- Someone who can stay and take you home
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistWaking up
What to expect afterwards
None of these mean something has gone wrong. Knowing about them in advance makes the first hours much easier.
A drain, sometimes
A thin tube draining fluid into a small bottle, common after a mastectomy or armpit clearance. It stays for several days and you may go home with it.
Feeling sick, and feeling cold
Both are common after an anaesthetic and both settle. Tell the nurse rather than enduring it, because anti-sickness medicine works well and is already prescribed.
Ask for pain relief early rather than late.Blue urine, if dye was used
The dye used to find the sentinel nodes turns urine green or blue for a day or two, and can leave a blue stain on the breast skin for weeks. It is harmless and expected.
Numbness, and a tight feeling
A numb patch on the inner upper arm after armpit surgery is common and often permanent. Tightness across the chest usually eases with the exercises you are given.
Ask before you leave
- Who do I call if something worries me
- When do the stitches or drain come out
- When will I get the pathology result
Talk to our team
Have a question about your situation?
Call the helpline or leave your details, and someone will help you arrange a consultation at the CION centre nearest you. One helpline serves every CION centre.
Call 1800 202 8726
Helpline open 24/7
!
Ring the ward, do not wait for your appointment
Contact the hospital the same day if you develop a fever or shivering, if the wound becomes increasingly red, hot or starts leaking, if there is swelling that is getting rapidly worse or bleeding that soaks through a dressing, or if you become suddenly breathless or develop pain and swelling in a calf. Get the ward number before you go home and keep it where your family can find it.
Being straight with you
What the day will not give you
It will not give you your results. The pathology report takes about a week to ten days, and that is the document that tells you your stage, your margins and your node status. Families waiting outside theatre for the full picture are always disappointed.
What you may be told on the day
Which operation was done, whether anything changed during it, and the result of any rapid test on the nodes if one was used. That is genuinely all that is known at that point.
Plans do sometimes change in theatre
Occasionally a surgeon finds more than the scans showed and does more than planned, which is why the consent form lists possibilities. Agree beforehand what you would want, particularly about clearing the armpit or removing the nipple.
Going home is not the end of the process
Make sure you leave with a contact number, a date for the drain or stitches, a date for your results, and written instructions about exercises. Discharge in a hurry with none of these is the most common practical failure.
Commonly believed
What families expect on the day
We will know the full result before she is discharged.
The pathology report takes about a week to ten days, and it is the document that gives your stage, your margins and your node status. On the day you learn which operation was done and whether anything changed. Waiting outside theatre for the whole picture leads only to disappointment.
Being late on the list means something is wrong.
Theatre lists run in a set order, often with the longest or most complex cases placed deliberately. Your position reflects scheduling rather than how serious your cancer is. Bring a charger and someone to sit with you, and expect the wait.
Being asked the same questions repeatedly is disorganised.
It is a deliberate safety check. Your name, the side and the operation are confirmed by several people independently, and the correct breast is marked with a pen while you are awake. Answer each time rather than assuming they already know.
She should not ask for painkillers too soon.
Pain relief works far better taken early than after the pain has built. It is already prescribed and the nurses expect to be asked. Waiting stoically makes the first night harder and slows down the exercises that protect your shoulder.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about the day of surgery
How long will the operation take?
A lumpectomy with a sentinel node procedure usually takes one to two hours. A mastectomy takes longer, and with reconstruction it can be much longer. Your family should expect several hours from the time you go down to the time you are back on the ward, including recovery.
Will I go home the same day?
Often after a lumpectomy, particularly if there is no drain. After a mastectomy expect at least one night, and longer with reconstruction. Ask in advance so your family can plan, and make sure someone can stay with you the first night at home.
When can I eat and drink afterwards?
Usually within a few hours, starting with sips of water once you are fully awake and not feeling sick. The nursing staff will guide you. Do not rush it if you feel nauseated, and tell them so they can give you something for it.
Will it hurt when I wake up?
Most women describe soreness and tightness rather than severe pain, and pain relief is given before you wake. Ask for more as soon as you need it rather than waiting until it is bad, because it is much easier to stay on top of.
Can someone stay with me?
Policies vary between hospitals and wards. Ask in advance, because knowing whether a family member can stay overnight changes how you plan the day. Someone must in any case be available to take you home.
What if my surgery is cancelled on the day?
It happens, usually because of an emergency taking theatre time, and it is deeply demoralising. Ask for a new date before you leave the hospital rather than waiting for a call. Ask also whether anything about your preparation needs repeating.
Should I take my regular tablets that morning?
Usually yes, with a sip of water, but this is decided at your pre-operative assessment. Blood thinners and diabetes medicines in particular have specific instructions. Ask for those instructions in writing rather than relying on memory.
When will I know the results?
The pathology report usually takes about a week to ten days, and it is discussed at a follow-up appointment rather than telephoned. Ask for that appointment date before you leave, so you are not left waiting without knowing when.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Talk to our team
Speak to a breast cancer specialist
Call the helpline or leave your details, and someone will help you arrange a consultation at the CION centre nearest you. One helpline serves every CION centre.
Call 1800 202 8726
Helpline open 24/7
Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Having breast cancer surgery
- National Cancer Institute — Surgery to treat cancer
- Breast Cancer Now — Going into hospital for breast surgery
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.