Lymph Node Surgery

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NotVeryBrave
NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
edited April 2017 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

I have another of my endless questions for you all so here's the background: When I was initially diagnosed in November 2016, two enlarged lymph nodes were seen by US in my armpit. One was biopsied (negative) and that finding was considered "discordant" by the interventional radiologist. So I've basically never really been sure about lymph node involvement.

I will be having surgery in about a month - still undecided about what surgery I'm having! I have bilateral mammogram and MRI this coming Friday and I'm hoping that will give me more information. But I don't keep my hopes up because it seems like everything just leads to more questions.

If I have a lumpectomy then they will do the SNB at the same time. My questions is: what about the nodes that were seen before? One BS says they are the same thing. The other BS says the SNB will be the first group of nodes and describes making an incision, kind of on my side, and then reaching in to feel for any abnormal areas.

How important is it to take those nodes that were seen in the beginning? Should they be going in both areas?

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited April 2017

    It might end up that those enlarged nodes end up being the sentinel nodes. They won't know until they put the dye (or isotope, or both) in and see which nodes it ends up going to first. I think the MRIs also include the lymph nodes so they will get a closer look at them. Also maybe the enlarged ones aren't enlarged anymore, since other things can cause them to enlarge!


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