And this procedure leaves intact the other, non-involved lymph nodes that perform an important function. Critical treatment insights are gained, with the least possible surgery and trauma. There are a number of good reasons why women want to minimize the removal of underarm lymph nodes. Other side effects can linger, including mild discomfort and numbness in the armpit and the upper arm, and swelling of the arm on the side of the affected breast, called lymphedema. The swelling of lymphedema can involve the breast area as well as the armpit.
Valuable information guides the surgery and minimizes how many nodes are removed.
It works well in many women who have early-stage disease with a relatively low risk of lymph node involvement. If you can find the one lymph node that the cancer drains into, you can look at it much more closely than you can look at twenty lymph nodes that you might take out otherwise. This is a fairly new surgical approach and should only be performed by an experienced team. One leading surgeon recommends that you look for a physician who has performed at least twenty sentinel node dissections. It is not a foolproof technique.