Why is my arm swollen after breast cancer surgery?

Patients after breast cancer surgery must pay attention to related nursing work to avoid symptoms such as infection, especially to avoid postoperative side effects of breathing, reduce the harm of the disease to patients, and pay attention to taking medications after surgery until the disease is completely cured. So what is the cause of swollen arms after breast cancer surgery? Let’s take a closer look at it below.

Arm edema is relatively common after radical mastectomy for breast cancer, accounting for about 20-30%. Edema often causes upper limb dysfunction such as limited shoulder joint movement, limb weakness, numbness, pain and other sensory abnormalities, which brings a lot of inconvenience to the patient's daily life.

This type of arm edema is actually a type of lymphedema, which is caused by the destruction of the normal structure of lymphatic tissue after axillary surgery and/or radiotherapy, resulting in obstruction of lymph flow and accumulation in the subcutaneous tissue. In the early stage, the edema area is soft and sunken, and then gradually worsens. The protein-rich lymph fluid causes the skin to become somewhat brownish during the fibrosis process, followed by hardening, hyperkeratosis, and thickening. In severe cases, there may be upper limb dysfunctions such as limited shoulder joint movement, limb weakness, abnormal sensations such as numbness and pain, and psychological disorders caused by limb deformities.

Once arm edema becomes chronic, the treatment effect is poor. The following measures can reduce edema: 1. Avoid excessive blood flow to the upper limbs, avoid high-intensity upper limb exercise, infection, etc. 2. Avoid increasing resistance to lymphatic return. For example, clothing that is too tight can compress the supraclavicular area. 3. Avoid drug injections, blood draws, immunizations, and blood pressure measurements on the affected upper limb. 4. Avoid high temperatures on the affected upper limb, such as hot water soaking, sun exposure, sauna bath, etc. 5. Avoid wearing tight underwear, necklaces and suspender bras.

Arm swelling after breast cancer surgery is mainly caused by excessive blood flow in the upper limbs. Be careful to avoid wearing tight underwear and bras after surgery. If you have symptoms of arm swelling, you must pay attention to it and go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible to find out the cause of the swelling. If it is not treated in time, it may cause severe limitation of arm joint movement.