Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Preparations Before Mastectomy

Studies show that there are 6 out of 10 women are diagnosed to have cancer in the breast. Most of these women ages from 35 and above are the subject of the concerned condition. Due to hormonal activity, the female hormones stimulated by the pituitary gland are declining as the woman grows old. Nevertheless, early diagnosis of the condition will be treated with Breast Cancer Surgery, with a good prognosis from the surgeon. There are some important details regarding the preparations for a person who is suggested to undergo this procedure.

Special precautions should be taken into consideration before submitting the patient for Breast Cancer Surgery. There are certain factors that can predispose an individual towards undesirable complications if these measures were not fully anticipated and practiced. The person who is diagnosed to have breast cancer should consult a surgeon regarding the possible treatment. Information related to surgery, both advantages and disadvantages should be tackled during the pre-consultation period. The surgeon usually provides a reading material to the patient or an actual discussion will be done so that the patient will have enough knowledge about her condition.

With the help of the internet service, research articles about Breast Cancer Surgery can be found in some websites that can provide further information and answer to all concerns of the person. Most, importantly, the family and significant others should participate with the responsibility for managing the condition of a cancer patient. Oncological Nurses can also provide a brief discussion about the care management for the patients who are emotionally disturbed with their condition. There are founded groups as well that can contribute to the knowledge of the person on how to deal with life being a cancer patient.

Once the patient has sufficient knowledge with the condition and the Breast Cancer Surgery, it is time to undergo series of laboratory and radiologic tests that are needed before the operation. Blood test including the blood typing should be furnished because there are times that the surgeon will ask for a reserve blood since it will be needed for the surgery. Blood loss is part of the surgery; therefore a standby blood must be available. This is to prevent further complications related to massive blood loss. Examinations pertaining to cardio and pulmonary functioning should be done. ECG (electrocardiogram) is the most common test used to check and monitor the electrical functioning of the heart. Once the patient has a heart problem, she will have difficulty dealing with any surgical procedure same with the respiratory conditions. The purpose of these tests is to identify the condition of the patient regarding on how the body responds normally to the effects of the anesthesia to be used in the surgery.

Before deciding to undergo Breast Cancer Surgery, it is better to have an imaging test of the breast. This is to provide a clear picture of the breast condition to the surgeon. It will be easier for the surgeon to plan his or her operation if they have seen the extent of cancer. However, for some practices, many surgeons will suggest that the patient should have adjuvant therapy prior to the operation. The purpose of this therapy is to reduce the size of the tumor if in case that the breast cancer is localized by the presence of a tumor. Once the tumor size reduces, it will be easier for the surgeon to remove the tumor instead of removing the entire or part of the breast which is very depressing to the part of the person.

The cancer patient should arrange a leave from their employer ahead of time. Usually, the recovery period for this procedure is quite long. It will disrupt the normal activated performed by the patient, have someone who will assist the patient in terms of self-care activities. It will be difficult for the patient to perform these activities because of the immobility to the upper extremities due to the presence of the operative site. Finally, the patient should ask for the possible manifestation of any complications that may arise after the surgery. This is to enhance their knowledge and initiative to communicate with the surgeon or to any health care provider if in case that some unwanted signs and symptoms will appear during the recovery period. The purpose of this measure is to alleviate the level of the patient’s anxiety resulting in increasing stress level that will only delay or cancel the patient's Breast Cancer Surgery.

These special precautions are very important and should be followed accordingly before deciding to have a surgical treatment for breast cancer.

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