Post-Mastectomy Care
Key Points
- Postoperative care depends on surgery type, reconstruction status, and overall patient condition.
- Early nursing priorities are physiologic stabilization, wound and drain management, and prevention of complications.
- Ongoing care includes body-image support, patient-directed education, and long-term follow-up coordination.
Equipment
- Standard postoperative monitoring tools (vital signs, pain assessment, intake/output)
- Surgical incision and drain care supplies per institutional protocol
- Patient education materials for home care, symptoms to report, and follow-up schedule
- Referral information for counseling, support groups, and survivorship services
Procedure Steps
- Perform immediate postoperative assessment, including pain, vital signs, wound status, and bleeding concerns.
- Verify type of surgery performed (for example simple, modified radical, skin-sparing, nipple-sparing) and whether reconstruction was completed.
- Monitor and manage incision sites and drains according to provider and facility protocol.
- Reinforce mobility and safety plan while monitoring for early complications.
- Provide staged teaching on expected recovery, home wound care, and when to seek urgent evaluation.
- Use teach-back to confirm understanding of surgery process and recovery expectations.
- Assess psychosocial response, including grief, anxiety, body-image distress, and family stressors.
- Support patient-centered decisions about reconstruction, prosthesis, or aesthetic flat closure without judgment.
- Coordinate follow-up surveillance plan, including imaging schedule for retained breast tissue and treatment-related monitoring.
- Document clinical status, education provided, patient response, and referral actions.
Common Errors
- Delivering large-volume education during acute shock only → poor retention and weak adherence after discharge.
- Delayed escalation of wound/drain changes → increased complication risk.
- Ignoring psychosocial impact of breast loss → worsening depression, isolation, and reduced treatment engagement.
- Incomplete follow-up planning → missed surveillance and delayed recurrence detection.
Related
- breast-cancer-care - Broad framework for diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship planning.
- breast-cancer-screening-and-diagnostic-workup - Follow-up pathway informs long-term post-treatment surveillance.