Mastectomy recovery week by week

Most women recover from a mastectomy without reconstruction over about four to six weeks, although energy, arm movement and feelings about the body can take longer to settle. In the first few days you are sore, tired and may have one or two drains. You get up and walk from the first day, eat normally and start gentle arm exercises. Most women go home within a few days. During the first two weeks the drains usually come out, the dressing is removed and the pathology results are discussed, which is often an emotional appointment. By weeks three and four you can do most light daily tasks, walk longer distances and raise your arm higher, although the scar may feel tight and numb. Around weeks four to six many women return to desk work, start driving again once they can turn and brake safely, and begin a gradual return to heavier housework. Chemotherapy, if needed, often starts within this window, and radiotherapy usually follows several weeks after surgery or after chemotherapy. From about two months onwards recovery is about building strength, keeping the shoulder flexible, watching for arm swelling and adjusting emotionally. Reconstruction, armpit clearance, other health conditions or complications such as fluid collection or infection can lengthen each stage. Treat these timings as a rough guide and follow your own team's advice.

Weeks one and two

Rest, walking, drains out, gentle exercises and results.

Weeks three to six

More movement, light chores, many return to desk work and driving.

After six weeks

Building strength and flexibility, and adjusting to the changes.

Recovery rarely follows a straight line.

Good days and bad days

You may feel strong one day and exhausted the next. That is normal and does not mean something has gone wrong.

Emotional recovery can lag

Many women feel physically better long before they feel emotionally settled. Low mood or anxiety at weeks four to eight is common.

Further treatment resets the clock

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy bring their own tiredness, so overall recovery may stretch over many months.

What this page cannot tell you

It cannot predict your own pace. Your age, health, the extent of surgery and further treatment all matter.

Most recoveries are uneventful, but a few problems need prompt attention.

Infection

Fever, chills, spreading redness, warmth, pus or a bad smell from the wound.

Bleeding or rapid swelling

A tense, painful, fast-growing swelling on the chest or under the arm.

Skin changes

Skin at the scar edges turning dark, black or breaking open.

Clot symptoms

A painful swollen calf, sudden breathlessness or chest pain need emergency care straight away.