After Breast Cancer Surgery
How should the patıent be followed after the surgery?
In the recent century, the most performed surgery was mastectomy, which is to remove the whole breast. However the studies have shown that it is possible to get the same results with more limited surgeries. Life expectancy is already high in early stages of breast cancer, so with a more limited surgery, both patient’s life expectancy will get higher and cosmetically better results will be obtained. Here, we can also mention breast-conservative surgery or some other oncoplastic surgery methods if the tumor is big.
What are the possıble complıcatıons after breast cancer surgery?
Breast cancer surgery is a serious one and it has some possible complications like other surgeries have. For example; bleeding, infection, hematoma, swelling on arm, limitation in arm movement (both for short and long term) are some of these complications. If the surgery is performed meticulously, the possibility of these complications to happen will decrease.
Bleedıng after breast cancer surgery
Bleeding after breast cancer surgery is an important complication. It can happen at early stage. Here, it is required to learn whether the patient use blood thinner or not; if they do not, the carefulness in surgery is vital otherwise bleedings after surgery or hematoma can occur.
Infectıon after breast cancer surgery
Infection does not often occur in breast cancer surgeries. Generally, the environment is the important factor. Cleanness of the environment in hospital and operating room affect the results. The more sterilized and clean the environment is, the less possible infection occurs. Infection is critical for the healing process because it can delay healing. If the healing delays after-surgery treatment will also delay. So, it is important that the operating room’s being clean. Apart from that, prophylactic antibiotic treatment can be applied.
Lymphedema (swellıng ın arm) after breast cancer surgery
After breast cancer surgery, some early or late complications can occur. One of the most imporatant of these is swelling in arm, lymphedema.
Early swelling, a short period of time after surgery, is normal. It can be emptied by injector and fixed after a few times; it is all about operating on axilla. However, in long term, if surgery is performed on axilla, and if radiotherapy is performed, every 1 in 5 patients swelling in the arms can be seen. This swelling can limit arm movements in the course of time.