incision for sentinel node removal?

Options
jessie123
jessie123 Member Posts: 532
edited February 2019 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

I finally had my surgery last Thursday after months of decision making. I had a lumpectomy and my surgeon was also going to take out two sentinel nodes ------ however, there is no incision under my arm. My 5 or 6 inch incision from the lumpectomy is on the far left side of my left breast. Do you think she went through the tumor incision to remove the nodes? I hope she didn't forget about my nodes -- Has anyone had a surgeon who removed nodes through the lumpectomy incision???? By the way -- this was just a wonderful surgery. I have had absolutely no pain --- haven't used the Norco she gave me or the tylenol I purchased. However, I do have one drain. Also, I still don't like anesthesia or getting up at 4:30 in the morning for the 7:30 surgery Other than that I have no complaints.

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Marymc86
    Marymc86 Member Posts: 102
    edited February 2019

    Hi Jessie123,

    I’m willing to bet your surgeon took the nodes through the lumpectomy incision. Sounds like a good surgeon.

    In any case, your pathology report will tell you about the findings of the nodes. Relax and recover. I’m glad it went well.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2019

    I had a mastectomy but it was skin and nipple sparing with an IMF incision under the breast. My incisions were quite small, no larger than what you are describing for your lumpectomy. My surgeon did both my sentinel node biopsy on the cancer side and my port installation on the non-cancer side with just those incisions. This is not common, but some surgeons are skilled enough to do this - consider yourself fortunate! Glad your surgery went well, I know you were worried.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited February 2019

    So glad you had an easy time! Why don’t you just give your doctor a call? Take care

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited February 2019

    Jessie123, I'm sure it was done through the one incision. My BS originally planned to do that, but she wanted to keep the breast incision smaller, so she did two. The node one isn't really in the armpit, more on the edge of the breast, so it's easy to include node removal for an outer edge lump.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Elephant
    Elephant Member Posts: 88
    edited February 2019

    Jessie123: I have the same incision as you, same length and it does not actually go under the arm. I talked to my BS in the operating room just before surgery about the sentinel nodes and he showed me where they were which was not actually in the armpit but on the side. I am sure that they did not forget to take out the sentinel nodes, but just did it through one incision.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • leftduetostupidmods
    leftduetostupidmods Member Posts: 620
    edited February 2019

    The sentinel nodes aren't in the armpit. Standard is to take them out through the lumpectomy or mastectomy incision. They can get quite far in from a small incision nowadays.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jessie123
    jessie123 Member Posts: 532
    edited February 2019

    Thanks everyone --- that makes me feel better. It seems I keep having more questions even after surgery. I've read of so many people having underarm pain which I was anticipating. I'm at the end of day 4 after surgery and I still feel a little tired --- like I don't want to do anything --- but I am older and also I was on such a high for 4 months before surgery --- it may just be that I'm finally beginning to relax.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • alto
    alto Member Posts: 233
    edited February 2019

    I think the fatigue is normal, jessie123. Your body has to put a lot of energy into healing. After a week, I thought I was mostly better, but noticed I was so tired at the end of a day - my energy level didn't really fully come back until about 2 weeks.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited February 2019

    My sentinel node incision was right near the armpit and further away from the breast than what it sounds like a lot of people had, but I think it's individual depending on which nodes "light up" while they are checking for the sentinel node. If your nodes were close to your lumpectomy incision, that's great for them to use the same incision. I wish I had only had one incision because that one near my armpit has been very annoying because of where it is.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jessie123
    jessie123 Member Posts: 532
    edited February 2019

    What do you mean "nodes light up". Do they inject something into the armpit to find the nodes? Is that why my urine was blue or green for two days? Also my nipple had a ink mark on it but the incision wasn't anywhere near that mark. Do you have any idea what that could be? I see the doctor on Friday and have so many questions.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited February 2019

    The dye is injected through the nipple, and it takes an hour or so to travel to the nodes. Some hospitals have the patient get the dye the day before, I think, so it must hang around a while.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • santabarbarian
    santabarbarian Member Posts: 3,085
    edited February 2019

    My sentinel node *was* cancerous when I was diagnosed. It was substantially lower than my arm pit, nearly at the junction of my uppermost side boob.

    I had chemo first, and it melted my tumor and my node. During the lumpectomy, the surgeon took the node that had been malignant, and also the NEXT several nodes (she wanted 3-4 more, to get a sampling, for better accuracy) to see whether it had traveled beyond the known malignant node... those were in my arm pit. So I had 2 incisions. 1 of the 3 armpit nodes showed signs of dead cancer but nothing alive. So, I had a pCR.

    My incisions are both about 2".

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited February 2019

    Yup, blue dye. I had dye as well as a radioactive isotope injection before surgery. She used both together to find the sentinel node.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • leftduetostupidmods
    leftduetostupidmods Member Posts: 620
    edited February 2019

    Just wanted to throw my two cents in here, as you said it's hurting. There are (very rare) cases where ladies got axillary web syndrome just fron SN removal. Lift your arm up and check if it looks like a taut cord under the skin. Myself I had AWB but only after the ALND.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories