Blue Dye After Sentinal Node Biopsy

[Avidhiker]

As a rule, how long does the blue dye remain noticable on your breast after it is injected for a sentinal node biopsy?

[ly3]

My blue dye marks have been gone for at least a year.  Don't remember when they disappeared.  In October, it will be 3 yrs since the SNB.  The marks were still there even after my nipple-sparing mastectomy and tram 6 months later.  PS assured me they would go away and they did.

[Under Forty Pam]

It shouldn't clash, my radiation tattoo is black so far.  Everything goes with black!!!

[Avidhiker]

Yes, it is a tatoo allright.  It just doesn't seem to be fading at all. Hope it won't clash with the tatoo I'll be getting from the radiation oncologist!

[boninclyde]

This is what they are going to do to me during my masectomy. My doctor said it will stay in the system 3/4 days. He also said sometimes the breast can become stained (actually he called it tatood)for months or longer.

[Naniam]

My "blue dye" tattoo will be one year old Aug 24.  It has faded some but still easily seen.  I think how long it last actually depends on how many of these the surgeon has done - mine hadn't done very many.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear avidhiker:  Most of the time, the injection of blue dye is deep enough into the tissue so that the dye does not show from the skin surface.  If the dye is visible, it could take 6-8 weeks or longer to resolve.