Recurrent Mastitis: Causes, Treatments, and Next Steps - Surgery

Mastitis with redness, swelling, and purulence occurs on average once a month?

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Hello, I have been suffering from mastitis multiple times and feel helpless.
I am unmarried and have a weak immune system, often catching colds.
My hygiene habits are good, but I have a rare condition where my nipples are inverted.
The first occurrence was in August, followed by an incision and drainage surgery.
In October, it recurred at home, with pus continuously leaking from the old wound.
I returned to the hospital for treatment in mid-November, and again pus leaked from the old wound.
In early January, it recurred again, with slight pain and redness on January 3rd.
On January 4th, I consulted a doctor and was prescribed medication, but the area became more red and swollen, and the wound appeared shiny, as if it might burst and leak again.
I know the medication is not effective anymore, but unfortunately, I have to wait until Thursday for the doctor’s appointment.
Should I wait, or should I seek another doctor? However, I really don’t want to switch doctors again.
What should I do?
In August, I saw Dr.
A due to slight pain and a hard feeling near my right nipple.
I visited a well-known oncology clinic in Changhua, where an ultrasound revealed a dark mass in the nipple area.
Due to its irregular shape, it was unclear whether it was a malignant tumor or inflammation, or a combination of both.
I was referred to a leading doctor at the largest hospital in Changhua for a biopsy.
When I arrived, the doctor performed another ultrasound, and the result was the same: a dark mass in the middle of the nipple.
The doctor concluded it was likely inflammation and immediately performed a needle aspiration, which was very painful without anesthesia.
The doctor prescribed medication and I awaited the report.
After the aspiration, the situation worsened the next day, with redness, swelling, heat, and slight fever.
I thought I should return to the hospital immediately, but the outpatient schedule required me to wait two days.
When I returned, the doctor continued to prescribe medication.
My mother suggested that it was likely filled with pus and somewhat necrotic.
The doctor then examined it and decided to arrange for an incision and drainage surgery.
This made me feel helpless; if I hadn’t reacted, would I have to continue taking medication? During the surgery, 2cc of pus was drained.
After daily dressing changes, the wound healed in about a week, and I no longer needed medication.
In early October, I had a recurrence with pain, redness within two days, and pus on the third day.
I wondered if the previous cleaning was insufficient.
The pus was coming from the incision made in August, appearing white, and I felt it was about to burst.
The next day, the doctor was not available, so I went to the emergency room.
They advised me to see a breast surgeon for better management.
They only temporarily drained the pus, so I went home to wait for the outpatient appointment.
After returning home and showering, pus started to leak out significantly without any pressure applied.
I temporarily covered it with gauze and called the emergency room for advice.
They informed me that I could see another doctor for treatment.
I scheduled an appointment with another doctor (Dr.
B), who cleaned the wound with a cotton swab and prescribed medication.
I asked why this was happening, and he suggested it might be due to inadequate previous treatment or lifestyle factors.
I went home, changed the dressing daily, and took medication for a week.
Two weeks later, I suddenly felt slight pain in my chest.
I quickly made an appointment, but Dr.
B was on leave.
I waited a week, but he was still unavailable.
I thought I couldn’t wait any longer and made an appointment with another doctor (Dr.
C).
I was hesitant to see Dr.
B again, fearing he hadn’t cleaned it properly.
Dr.
C explained that menstrual pain and irregular lifestyle could cause discomfort.
I expressed my concern that menstrual pain typically affects both sides, but my pain was localized to the surgical site.
I worried it might be a recurrence.
Dr.
C reassured me that pain in the surgical area was normal and advised me to return only if there was redness.
She prescribed medication since there were no visible issues.
I felt somewhat helpless but trusted the doctor’s expertise.
I suggested an ultrasound to check if the dark mass had resolved, but she said it was unnecessary since I had already had one.
After a week, the chest pain increased, and I reassured myself that pain in the surgical area was normal.
However, as time passed, I realized it was not normal.
About seven days later, I noticed redness, followed by swelling and pain the next day.
Feeling distressed, I checked if Dr.
B had returned, but he was still on leave.
I hesitated to see Dr.
C again and made an appointment with Dr.
D, who was friendly but prescribed medication that didn’t alleviate the issue.
When it was time for a follow-up, Dr.
D was unavailable.
I was confused about their irregular schedules.
It felt like the pus was about to burst out again, so I went to a nearby clinic.
The doctor there drained the pus and performed daily dressing changes.
He was very attentive and mentioned that recurring issues for a month were not normal, suggesting that the inside might not be clean while the outer wound had healed.
He continued to clean it for two weeks, leaving the wound open to drain, and prescribed medication for 20 days.
The redness subsided, and the swelling went down.
I was very grateful to this doctor, who was not a breast surgeon.
He advised me to return to the breast surgeon for an ultrasound after the wound healed to check if the dark mass had resolved.
If not, further examination might be necessary.
Given the long history of recurrence, it was concerning.
I took his advice seriously and thought it was time for a check-up.
Unfortunately, yesterday it recurred again, and I returned to Dr.
A, who prescribed medication without a conclusive plan.
He suggested that I might need to have the breast tissue removed, but even that could lead to recurrence.
I am completely at a loss about what to do now.
I searched online and found you, hoping you can help me.

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shǎguā, 20~29 year old female. Ask Date: 2011/01/05