Sadly, breast cancer is considered quite common. There are statistics that in our country every year more than 50 thousand women are diagnosed with this disease. One of the methods of treatment of such a pathology is the removal of the breast. Photos of mammary glands with a tumor are familiar to every surgeon. Initially, when a woman is faced with such a diagnosis and prognosis of removal, she falls into a state of shock. How the stages of treatment actually go will be discussed below.
Varieties of surgery
Operations can be divided into 2 types.
- The first type of surgery involves the complete removal of the breast. They also cut out the lymph nodes that are adjacent to it.
- The second type differs from the first in that the removal of the breast is not done completely, but only part of it. But the lymph nodes that are adjacent to it must be removed in any case. This is necessary, since they are the main distributor of cancer cells. If the progression of the tumor has begun, then the lymph nodes will be the first to pick up metastases.
You should know that full breast removalis the most effective method of treating cancer than cutting out part of it. Although the second type of surgery is considered less traumatic for the patient. If a woman undergoes partial breast removal, then she has a higher risk of cancer cells in the body. When it is completely cut out, it is less likely that there will be a relapse. After the removal of the breast (or part of it), radiation therapy is prescribed. This type can give complications. They are associated with the possibility of lymphostasis. This ailment means that the outflow of lymph will be difficult. A clear sign of the presence of this disease in the human body is swelling of the arm on the side where the mammary gland was removed.
Modern medicine does not involve affecting the muscles of the thoracic region. This was not the case before with this operation. Then this led to the fact that the hand on the operated side was limited in movement. In a similar way, the operation to remove the breast was carried out for quite a long time, namely about a hundred years. Now such a problem does not exist due to medical progress. After a woman undergoes breast removal surgery, her arm is not subjected to any limited actions.
Diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast removal quickly and efficiently
The duration of the operation is short. As a rule, the removal of the breast takes about one hour. Surgery is performed under general anesthesia.
Oncology: breast removal and subsequentrehabilitation
You should know that after the surgery, the woman will need to stay in the hospital for two weeks. The important point is that on the first postoperative day, the patient must take a sitting position, then stand up and walk around. These measures are necessary so that complications such as pneumonia, thrombosis in the legs do not occur in the body. The risk of developing the first named disease is higher in older women.
As a rule, the patient does not experience any pain. At first, she is given to take painkillers, but they do not have a strong effect. This type of surgery does not involve taking drugs with narcotic substances. Such drugs are prescribed to patients who underwent surgery on the chest and abdominal cavity. By the time the person is discharged from the hospital, there is no need to take pain medication.
In the postoperative period, while the patient is in the hospital, there is a special drainage in the armpit. It is necessary in order for the lymph to flow in the right amount. Also, the patient's chest is tightly pulled with an elastic bandage. This is necessary so that the skin fits snugly at the site of the operation, so that no accumulation of lymph forms, otherwise additional treatment will be required
Accumulation of lymph
Sometimes, after the patient is removed from the drainage and stop doing tight bandaging, the lymph begins to accumulate. ATIn this case, it is necessary to contact the surgeon for its removal through punctures. This procedure can be done at the clinic at the place of residence or contact a paid medical institution. The period of accumulation of lymph depends on the individual characteristics of the body. You should be aware that in people with a larger body weight, this process occurs for a longer time than in thin people.
What treatment should be done after this operation?
Removal of the breast in women is not the final stage of treatment. The patient will have to continue the recovery process. The further treatment regimen is determined by the doctor. Such indicators as the presence of metastases in the axillary lymph nodes, the reaction of the body to hormonal drugs are taken into account. If the tumor was hormone-dependent, the patient is prescribed a course of appropriate medications.
This treatment regimen is considered the simplest. It lies in the fact that the patient will need to take drugs that include hormones. The course duration is 2 weeks. The number of tablets to be taken is one or two per day. The dose of drugs depends on the individual characteristics of the woman and is determined by the attending physician.
Effectiveness of breast removal surgery
There are cases when an operation is sufficient to completely cure a patient of cancer. As a rule, this happens when the disease is detected at the first stage. Also an important point for a complete cure afteroperation is the absence of metastases in the lymph nodes. Then, in the postoperative period, the patient will be constantly monitored by an oncologist.
If there were metastases, then the patient will need to be treated with chemotherapy. It consists of several sessions. The first session is carried out in the hospital in the postoperative period. The rest of the course can be continued at the place of residence or in the medical institution where the patient is observed.
Targeted therapy
Medicine does not stand still, and oncology is no exception. There are regions where a modern method of treating oncological diseases is used. It's called targeted therapy. This name comes from the English word "target". This method of treatment is aimed at ensuring that the effect of the drug extends directly to the cancer cells. It blocks them and prevents them from growing.
Is it possible to restore the breast after surgery to remove it?
It is clear that the loss of a breast for a woman is a disaster. This is due to the fact that this organ is associated with beauty and attractiveness. Without breasts, a woman will feel inadequate.
Simultaneous removal and prosthetics cannot always be performed. Women need to be patient. If they have undergone such a disease as cancer, then first of all they should take all measures to cure this disease. Further, after a certain time, andIt is after 9 months or a year that you can have an operation to place the implants. The latter can be the size that you always wanted to have. For example, you can enlarge the breast or reduce it. It will also work to give it the desired shape. The positive attitude of the patient in the treatment of cancer is an important factor in the recovery process. Therefore, plans for the perfect chest will come in handy in this case.
If a woman is older and does not plan to insert implants after the operation, then she should buy special underwear with imitation. In such a bra, she will look aesthetically pleasing. It will also correct the load on the spine.
If a woman is active, then she returns to her normal lifestyle immediately after discharge from the hospital. Other representatives of the fair sex return to normal a month after surgery.
