After the operation

​The patient will have a follow-up about two weeks after the operation.

Prior to the follow-up, the patient’s case will usually have been reviewed at a multidisciplinary meeting of surgeons and an oncologist, breast-cancer nurse, radiologist and pathologist. The adequacy of the breast cancer surgery is evaluated at this meeting and a preliminary recommendation for adjuvant therapy is made.

At the follow-up examination, the surgeon checks how the patient is doing and if the wounds are healing well. The surgery outpatient clinic makes appointments at the Department of Oncology, or the surgeon prepares a referral to the Department of Oncology and tells the patient:

• if the surgery performed was extensive enough,
• what the pathology results were, including tumor size and lymph node status, and
• the preliminary recommendation for adjuvant therapy.

Within two weeks or so of the follow-up, the patient is invited to an appointment with an oncologist. The oncologist tells the patient about the adjuvant treatments recommended and their benefits, side effects and duration.

Lymphedema and its treatment after breast cancer