Surgery
Many people go home on the same day as their operation. Others are in hospital for at least a few nights, for example if you are having breast reconstruction. The length of your stay depends on the type of operation you have and your recovery.
You have tests before your operation to check:
you are well enough to have an operation and anaesthetic
that you’ll make a good recovery from surgery
The tests you have depend on what operation you are having and any other health conditions you have. You might have some or all of the following tests:
blood tests to check the level of and how well your kidneys are working
a swab test to rule out some infections
an (electrocardiogram) or (echocardiogram) to check that your heart is healthy - some people might have both
breathing tests (called lung function tests)
a chest x-ray to check that your lungs are healthy
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The pre operative assessment team will explain what these tests are for and how to prepare for them. You might have these tests as part of your pre operative assessment appointment. Sometimes you have them at a separate appointment.
Before your surgery you usually have an appointment at the hospital pre assessment clinic.
Your pre assessment appointment prepares you for your operation.
You see a nurse at this appointment. You might also meet other members of your treatment team so you can sign the consent form to agree to the operation.
Your doctor or nurse might talk to you about the Enhanced Recovery Programme at your hospital. This is a programme of care that helps people recover more quickly after a big operation.
Ask lots of questions during your appointment. It helps to write down all your questions beforehand to take with you. The more you know about what is going to happen, the less frightening it will seem.
You can ask more questions when you go into hospital. So don’t worry if you forget to ask, or think of more questions when you get home.
A team of doctors and other healthcare professionals will be involved in your treatment. You will meet them before your surgery.
Your breast surgeon or a member of their team will tell you about:
the operation you are going to have, and where the scars will be
the benefits of having surgery
the possible risks
what to expect afterwards
Your surgeon will also ask you to sign the consent form.
Your specialist breast nurse can help to organise care between doctors and the other health professionals you need to see. They also support you through your treatment, and make sure you have the information you need to understand your cancer and treatment. Your CNS will support you through any treatment you have.
Your breast care nurse or a physiotherapist will talk to you about arm exercises that you need to do after your operation. This helps with your recovery.
The anaesthetist gives you the anaesthetic and they look after you during the operation. The anaesthetic is the medicine that keeps you asleep during your operation. They make sure you’re fit enough for the surgery.
They will check your:
general health
weight
blood pressure
pulse
temperature
The nurse asks you questions to check your fitness for the operation. They can organise any further tests you might need. They ask about any medicines you are taking and give you information about what to expect when you come into hospital for the operation.
They will let you know if you need to stop taking certain medicines before your operation. Tell them if you usually take medicines to thin your blood or have other medical conditions, such as diabetes.
They also check what help and support you have to see what you will need when you go home.
They may give you a leaflet to teach you leg and breathing exercises to do after your operation to help with recovery.
The physiotherapist assesses how well you can move around. They let the doctors know if there is anything that could affect your recovery.
After breast cancer surgery you’ll start with gentle exercises and slowly build these up over a number of weeks. Depending on the type of surgery you have will depend on what exercises are right for you. You’ll have a plan to follow to help you get back to strength and full range of movement.
The physiotherapist also teaches you leg and breathing exercises to do after your operation to help with recovery.
Breathing exercises help to stop you from getting a chest infection after surgery. If you smoke, it helps if you can stop at least a few weeks before your operation.
Leg exercises help to stop blood clots forming in your legs. You might also have medicines to stop the blood from clotting. You have them as small injections under the skin.
You start the injections after your operation. You might also wear anti embolism stockings or have pumps on your calves to help the circulation.
Your nurse and physiotherapist will get you up out of bed quite quickly after your surgery. This is to help prevent chest infections and blood clots forming.
This 3-minute video shows you how to do the breathing and leg exercises.
If you are having breast conserving surgery you may have a magnetic marker put in a few days or weeks before. This is to help the surgeon find a cancer they cannot feel. Magseed is the name of one of the magnetic markers in use. The marker is about the size of a grain of rice and is 5mm in length. It's made of stainless steel. You have this put in with a mammogram or ultrasound scan in the radiology department. You have a so you won’t feel anything.
Read more about placing a magnetic marker on our breast conserving surgery page
There is a higher risk of complications if you are having breast cancer surgery and you:
smoke
are very overweight
have other serious medical conditions
You might recover more quickly after surgery if you do the following things before your operation.
Smoking can lower the blood supply to the bodies tissue. This can cause problems with wound healing after the operation to remove the cancer or with breast reconstruction.
It can also increase your risk of getting an infection.
If tissue is taken from your tummy (abdomen), smoking increases the risk of hernia.
There is an increased risk of complications from an anaesthetic and the outcomes of the surgery if you are overweight. Ask for a referral to a dietitian if you would like to lose weight before the operation.
You might have exercises to do before breast surgery to help strengthen the muscles involved. For example if tissue is going to be taken from your abdomen for breast reconstruction, it can be useful to do sit ups and gradually build these up. Talk to your doctor or specialist nurse before starting any exercise.
You usually go into hospital on the morning of your surgery. Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to stop eating and drinking before your operation.
Take in:
nightgowns or pyjamas
underwear
dressing gown
slippers
contact lenses, solution, glasses and a case
wash bag with soap, a flannel or sponge, toothbrush and toothpaste etc
sanitary wear or tampons
towel
small amount of money
medicines you normally take
magazines, books, playing cards
headphones and music to listen to
a tablet or smartphone for web browsing, entertainment and phone calls
chargers for electronic devices
a copy of your last clinic letter (if you have one)
Bring a well fitting, non-wired bra for after your surgery. This will give support to your wound and make you more comfortable. You might want to take one in a darker colour and slightly larger than normal.
Before you go into hospital, it might be worth checking:
whether the ward is allowing visitors
if they have set visiting times
the best number for friends and family to phone, to find out how you are
The letter you receive before your operation may contain this information. But if not, you can phone the ward or hospital reception to find out.
You can use your mobile phone in hospital. But there may be some time before and after your operation when you won’t have your mobile nearby. And you may not feel like talking.
It’s worth sorting out a few things before you go into hospital. These might include:
taking time off work
care for children or other loved ones
care for your pets
care for your house
cancelling your milk, newspapers or food deliveries
Last reviewed: 05 Jun 2026
Next review due: 05 Jun 2029
There are different types of surgery for breast cancer, including mastectomy, breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy), lymph node removal and breast reconstruction. Find out about each of these.
This is an operation to remove the area of cancer and some of the surrounding breast tissue. It's also called a wide local excision or lumpectomy. Find out more about this breast cancer surgery.
A mastectomy is surgery to remove all of the breast. Find our why you might have one, when to you might have breast reconstruction or why you may choose not to. We also have information about what happens.
There are different types of surgery to make a new breast shape after removal of breast cancer. Read about the different types of breast reconstruction, benefits and possible problems.
It is important to know if there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes in the armpit and how many. This helps the doctors work out the stage of your cancer and plan the best treatment for you.
Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the breast tissue. It’s the most common cancer in the UK. It mainly affects women, but men can get it too.
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