Elżbieta Niedbała, Leszek Kołodziejski

E. Niedbała, L. Kołodziejski – Porównanie obwodów kończyn górnych u kobiet po radykalnym leczeniu raka piersi korzystających i nie korzystających z wczesnej profesjonalnej rehabilitacji. FP 2013; 13(4); 37-43

Abstract

Removing the lymphatic system of the armpit during the radical mastectomy hinders the outflow of lymph from the upper limb. Aim of the work. The aim of this report is to compare the circumference of women’s upper limbs post-surgical breast cancer undergone to early professional and unprofessional rehabilitation. Material and methods. A group of 146 members of Amazon Club subjected to radical breast amputation by Maddens methods between 2002-2009, have been evaluated. 71 patients from Malopolska (M group) were operated on in the Oncological Centre of Krakow (OCK) and 75 from Świętokrzyskie (Ś group) were operated on in the Świętokrzyskie Oncological Centre in Kielce (SCO). For all the patients the same, standard oncological procedures were used. The only significant difference between the medical centres was the method of conducting early post operative rehabilitation. In the M group it was conducted by trained nurses and volunteers of Amazon Club and the patients continued their exercises on their own at home. In Ś group a complex rehabilitation in the stationary conditions was conducted by professional physiotherapists. Data of all the women have been obtained including the patients’ age, past treatment and rehabilitation or the circumference of upper limbs were done. Women from both groups (M i S) were compared regarding antropometric features, past treatment and circumference of upper limbs and development of lymphedema. Results. In spite of the considerable difference in the method of early postoperative rehabilitation the patients from M i S did not differ significantly as regards circumference of their upper limbs, occurrence and volume lymphedema on the operated side.
Conclusions:
1. At women after radical mastectomy subjected to the early professional and unprofessional rehabilitation, in the late period of observation, the circumference of their upper limbs were the similar.
2. In both groups M i S the percentage of women with lymphedema was low.

Key words:
mastectomy, circumference upper limbs, lymphedema