Pre and Post Breast Cancer Care.
I. Pre-operative care
Psychological adjustment: to learn that breast cancer requires surgery, anxiety is inevitable. However, it is important to be as optimistic as possible, to communicate more with families and doctors, to learn about the circumstances of the operation and to reduce the psychological burden, as good mentalities contribute to the operation and subsequent recovery.
Body preparation:
– To cooperate with doctors in carrying out pre-operative examinations, such as blood protocol, coagulation, electrocardiograms, etc., in order to ensure that they are able to withstand the operation.
– The requirement to fast water prior to the operation, which is to last eight hours prior to the operation and four hours in order to avoid the risk of vomiting during the operation.
– Personal hygiene, especially in the surgery area and the surrounding skin, and cleaning under the direction of the medical staff.
Preparation of articles: the preparation of loose and comfortable clothing that may be used after the operation, which will facilitate wear-out and will not rub wounds; the preparation of cushions, etc., and the adjustment of comfort positions during post-operative rest.
II. Post-operative care
Wound care:
– To keep the wounds clean and dry, to avoid water contamination, to exchange medicines on a regular basis as prescribed by the doctor, and to observe any abnormalities, such as redness and seepage, and to inform the doctor in a timely manner.
– Do not touch or squeeze wounds at will to prevent infection and its effects from healing.
(b) Dip-tip care: If a trop-tip is left after the operation, care is taken to keep it properly fixed, to prevent distortion and pressure, to keep the trop-tip open, to record the quantity and colour of the duct-tip fluid, etc., and to remove it in due course under the direction of the medical staff.
Events and rest:
– More rest in the early stages of the operation, but appropriate activities should also be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, such as simple moves such as handshakes, elbow stretches, promotion of blood circulation and prevention of complications such as swelling.
– Avoiding intense physical activity and overwork, and increasing activity as recovery occurs.
Eating and nutrition: After-operative diets are light, digestive and rich in proteins and vitamins, such as skinny meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc., contribute to physical recovery and increase resistance.
Regular review: Periodic review, strictly in accordance with the time schedule set by the doctor, of the recovery of the body and whether there has been a recurrence of the condition through examinations such as breast ultrasound, tumor markers, etc., in order to adjust the treatment programme in a timely manner.
In short, care before and after breast cancer surgery is important, and careful compliance can better promote rehabilitation and quality of life.
