Hi Daisy,

The drain is usually left in to remove liquid that builds up after surgery. It sounds as if you now have a build up of fluid, called a seroma. It might be worth phoning your breast care nurse for advice. These are sometimes left alone to reabsorb, but occasionally they may have to be aspirated to draw some of the fluid away. I had to get mine aspirated a few times and it gave immediate relief.

We are usually advised to wear a bra day and night to start with. If you feel that using a softie helps, I don't believe that it could do any harm.

I hope that this settles for you soon. Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Daisy,

I'd agree with Jolamine in that this sounds like a seroma developing.  It's basically a build up of fluid in the area and it can happen with or without drains.  I had a large one after my mastectomy last March and the swishing of fluid really is a very strange sensation.  It's important to keep wearing a supportive soft bra and your softie as this keeps the pressure on the area and prevents it getting any bigger.  Keep an eye on it and speak to your nurse.  Dont do any heavy lifting or anything like that.  They may drain it with a needle to make you more comfortable.  I had mine drained 3 times and it was shocking what came out!  In the end they gave me a Kenalog injection in the area which is a steroid and it was only after this that it cleared up.  Seroma's can be annoying but they are very common so try not to worry too much about it.  It will settle eventually but healing takes longer than you think.

All the best,

Mary x

Thank you so much...Ive kept a bra on 24 hrs and it definately seem to be helping. I really appreciate your response xx