Inform health care providers to use your other arm for blood pressure, blood drawing and shots unless approved by your surgeon. Make every effort to avoid cuts and burns to this arm. Treat any injured area very carefully. If you have swelling, elevate your arm on pillows when you are lying down. There are also special elastic arm sleeves that you can use if the swelling is severe.
Arm exercises help to minimize the swelling.
There are several support groups available to assist you with emotional needs as well as give you advice concerning prostheses or reconstructive surgery. CancerLinks searches the WWW for information about cancer. The American Cancer Society offers the full range of American Cancer Society service and education programs. The following information may help you better understand how minimally invasive surgery works. Minimally invasive surgery is an operation accomplished without a large incision.