Possible Complications of Breast Cancer Surgery

At present, the surgical methods of breast cancer is the standard radical mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy, there are some possible complications after breast cancer surgery. The patients is poor health, if complications happened, it will undoubtedly increase the pain, prolonged the time of hospital and spend more costs. Therefore, the patients should understand the postoperative complications in order to prevent from it early. What are the possible complications of breast cancer surgery?

Skin flap necrosis

Skin flap necrosis is the most common postoperative complication of breast cancer surgery. Generally, Light flap necrosis which is around the edge does not affect the healing of wound due to limited range. However, severe necrosis of a larger area should be promptly cut off the necrotic part of the debridement and dressing and ready to prepare the wound prior to skin grafting for early skin grafting.

Postoperative infection

Wound infection is a main reason of swelling of upper limb with the edge of flap necrosis, infection; Axillary fluid continues too long or poor drainage repeatedly can be a factor of infection. At this point, local dressing should be done and avoid the factors that are detrimental to wound healing, also adequate antibiotics should be given to control infection.
Bleeding

Bleeding is one of the common complications of breast cancer surgery. During the tumor resection or radical resection, it happened. The reasons of bleeding are:

  1. Preoperative chemotherapy or hormone drugs, that are easy to make the wound bleeding;
  2. Stanch bleeding is not completely intraoperative and the active bleeding point is left;
  3.  Postoperative, the application of continuous negative pressure drainage, postural changes or severe coughing and so on, that make the coagulation of the blood clot or ligation of the thread slip off, causing bleeding.

Side upper extremity lymphedema 

The most common complications of radical is side upper extremity lymphedema. The reasons may include that axillary fluid, cephalic vein ligation, the incision extended to the upper arm, armpit extensive transfer and the upper arm delay and so on. It is important to eliminate incentives To prevent upper extremity edema. If edema has occurred, the patient should raise the limb, use elastic bandage and avoid fatigue and prevent infection.

Tips

Subcutaneous fluid 

Subcutaneous fluid is due to the cavity by flap activities and the poor drainage of subcutaneous exudates. It can be preventing by continuous negative pressure and well fixed of flap.

I hope that you can understand the complications after breast cancer surgery and take timely measures to prevent complications.