What to do if your arm becomes swollen after breast cancer surgery

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, second only to uterine cancer. Although its incidence is high, the 5-year survival rate can reach more than 30%, which is somewhat comforting. However, 20 to 30 percent of breast cancer patients after surgery will experience complications such as "swollen arms and unable to lift their hands." Nursing experts say that these two complications have the greatest impact on the quality of life of breast cancer patients.

Ms. Chen, 45, underwent breast cancer surgery in July 2010 and had her left breast removed. In August 2011, her left arm began to swell. A few months later, her left arm was more swollen than her right arm, and she couldn't even hold her hand. The swelling was obvious, and she even felt numbness and pain, which made her very uncomfortable. The moment she saw the doctor, Ms. Chen said, "Even if my hand is useless, it would be better to have it amputated."

Experts have pointed out that arm edema is common after radical mastectomy for breast cancer, and edema often leads to limited shoulder joint movement, such as being unable to raise the hand or comb the hair, which brings a lot of inconvenience to the patient's daily life. "Arm edema is actually a type of lymphedema. This is because some breast cancer patients need to undergo axillary dissection, which removes some lymphatic tissue, blocking the "pathway" for lymph fluid to return and causing it to accumulate in the subcutaneous tissue." The head nurse said, "If the armpit is radiotherapyed after surgery, it will aggravate upper limb edema."

So how can you reduce this complication of arm swelling?

According to reports, there are two types of edema after breast cancer surgery: one is acute edema, which occurs within 6 months after surgery, mainly due to poor blood circulation caused by lack of exercise after surgery; the other is secondary edema, which usually occurs 1-2 years after surgery, mostly caused by excessive force and fatigue of the arm. Therefore, after breast cancer surgery, you should do hand exercises scientifically and protect the arm on the affected side, otherwise, edema is likely to occur.

To prevent edema, experts believe that after breast cancer surgery, you should learn to protect your arms:

(1) When sleeping at night, try to keep your arms higher than your heart, for example, by using a few pillows to prop up your arms, but be careful to support your entire arms.

(2) You should still exercise your arm regularly, do some housework or work, but remember not to let your arm get tired. Even when carrying a bag on your shoulder, you should carry it on the side that did not have surgery.

(3) Do not carry heavy objects in your hands or on your shoulders, and try not to do work that requires your arm muscles to exert great strength. When muscles exert strength, a large amount of oxygen needs to be supplied to the muscles, which will cause a large amount of blood to flow into the arms, and then the venous blood and lymph fluid must be transported out from the congested arms.

It is worth noting that when the arm has edema, it should not be exposed to direct heat, such as hot water baths, long-term sunbathing, etc., because the edema will be more severe after being exposed to heat. She also reminded that if the swelling just starts, it can be reduced by taking massage, elastic bandages, diuretics, and anti-edema drugs in time. If you come to the doctor when the swelling is very severe, the treatment effect will not be good.