Immediate versus delayed shoulder exercises after axillary lymph node dissection

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9610(05)81008-6Get rights and content

A total of 144 evaluable patients with breast cancer were enrolled in a multicenter, randomized, prospective study to establish the role of delayed shoulder exercises on wound drainage and shoulder function after axillary lymph node dissection. Patients in group 1 (n=78) started active shoulder exercises 1 day postoperatively. Patients in group 2 (n=66) started on the eighth postoperative day, following 1 week of immobilization of the arm.

Patients in group 2 had 14% less wound drainage volume than those in group 1 (600±436 mL versus 701±398 mL); this difference, however, was not significant. Also, no differences could be established between the two groups when duration and volume of wound drainage, number and volume of seroma aspirations, wound complication rates, and shoulder function were compared 6 months after surgery.

References (8)

  • AitkenDR et al.

    Complications associated with mastectomy

    Surg Clin North Am

    (1983)
  • PollardR et al.

    Shoulder movement following mastectomy

    Clin Oncol

    (1976)
  • FlewTJ

    Wound drainage following radical mastectomy: the effect of restriction of shoulder movement

    Br J Surg

    (1979)
  • LotzeMT et al.

    Early versus delayed shoulder motion following axillary dissection: a randomized prospective study

    Ann Surg

    (1981)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (68)

  • Rehabilitation for Women Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Early, Unrestricted Exercise Programs on Upper Limb Function

    2022, Clinical Breast Cancer
    Citation Excerpt :

    Half the trials (50%) measured ROM with goniometry,40,45–47,50,61,62 the other trials did not specify how ROM was measured. Eight studies reported on the incidence of ROM restriction, defined by either the clinician,52–54,56,57,60 or by the patient.40,60 Eight trials (746 participants) reported on flexion ROM (Figures 3, 4).45,46,50–52,54,60,61

  • Wound care and complications of mastectomy

    2018, The Breast: Comprehensive Management of Benign and Malignant Diseases
  • Effectiveness of postoperative physical therapy for upper-limb impairments after breast cancer treatment: A systematic review

    2015, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
    Citation Excerpt :

    To date, no RCT has reported on the effectiveness of myofascial therapy starting within the first 6 weeks after surgery for breast cancer. Eight RCTs with a total of 1284 patients examined the timing of exercises after breast cancer treatment.37-44 No studies examined the timing of the other physical therapy modalities.

  • Rehabilitation

    2009, The Breast: Comprehensive Management of Benign and Malignant Diseases
View all citing articles on Scopus
1

From the Department of Surgical Oncology, Dr Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

3

the Department of Surgery, Zuiderziekenhuis Rotterdam, The Netherlands

4

the Department of Surgery, Leyenburg Ziekenhuis, The Hague, The Netherlands

5

the Department of Surgery, Haven Ziekenhuis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

2

From the Department of Statistics, Dr Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

View full text