Anyone had a Hadfields Procedure (total milk duct excision)

[NamelessWalls]

I'm having the above operation next week to check for breast cancer as I've had blood coming out of my nipple in recent weeks. I'm trying to be as positive as possible about outcomes and to not worry until I've got something to worry about (easier said than done at times, especially as I lost my mum to bc 🙄).

I'm told they'll remove about 3cm of tissue and they will be some scarring around my nipple. Has anyone had this done recently? It all sounds very uncomfortable and I'm concerned about aftercare and how sore is going to be while everything heals. Can anyone share their experiences to put my mind at rest please.

Yes - I had it done a couple of years ago and then further surgery as a second papilloma developed in a different duct.

First one was really easy. The scarring was minimal, the incision was along the edge of the areola and is all but invisible. I needed no pain relief afterwards, I did take some paracetamol before bed but more because I felt I should just in case rather than because I needed it.

The worst part by far was waiting for the pathology results.

It's worth having a chat with your surgeon about the cosmetics if that is what is worrying you. I switched surgeons at the 11th hour as I was worried about the scarring and whether the nipple would collapse and the first one really wouldn't take my concerns on board. The second one though actually told me where he'd place the scar and told me I could have a supporting stitch put in behind the nipple like he does for inverted nipples. The result is a breast that looks 99% normal.

If you'd like to PM me then please do.

@WitchQueenofDarkness thanks for the advice, it's much appreciated.

I'm not too worried about scarring, I can live with that and better safe than sorry so I know it needs doing. I was more worried about the immediate days afterwards and dealing with the wound I guess. Glad to hear that it isn't too bad.

If you don't mind me asking, how long did you wait for your results?

It was 2 weeks - a very long 2 weeks.

You'll be quite bruised afterwards which takes a while to settle but I could have been back at work within a day or 2 if I'd wanted to be.