Breast lymphedema after partial mastectomy. A complication of conservative surgical methods

Adámek J., Prausová J.* and Wald M.

Department of Surgery
* Department of Oncology
2^nd Medical School, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Summary

With the increasing number and percentage of breast-saving surgeries we meet new problems and post-surgical complications. The most severe complication which occurs only in the breast-saving surgeries is lymphedema of remaining part of the breast. Its development may be accentuated by a post-surgical actinotherapy. Hematoma in the wound is also a serious complication. This banal complication may lead after improper cicatrization even to the suspicion on the tumor recurrence. Likewise at modified radical mastectomy, seroms and lymphatic secretion in the axilla appear. We consider a post-surgical administration of enzymes - systemically acting proteinases - which significantly reduce these complications to be a method to reduce a breast lymphedema development.