Question: I have had a mastectomy (breast removal) for cancer, and found that I avoided many complications of restricted arm movement and swelling ol my arm by keeping the arm above my head on a pillow, and moving it as much as possible, starting immediately after the operation.
Arm movement restrictions and lymphoedema (swelling) of the arm are common complications of breast surgery when the glands in the armpit are removed to prevent the further spread of breast cancer.
Lymph is the waste products of the cells, and lymph returns from every cell through a complex network of fine tubes, rather like thin veins. These lymph ducts pass through the lymph glands that concentrate in the armpit, groin, neck and along the inside of your backbone. Tne glands act to remove any germs that may be attempting to penetrate deeper into the body. Eventually the lymph, having being cleaned by the glands, drains into a major vein near the heart.
The complication of lymphoedema (lymph accumulation) alter breast cancer surgery varies dramatically from one patient to another, with only partial relationship to the severity of the surgery. Those who suffer severely may have an arm that is rock hard and three times its normal size. Elevation and pressure bandages are the normal treatments, but a plastic sleeve that envelopes the arm and is rhythmically inflated by a machine is the most successful treatment.
Patients requiring further help with this problem should contact the Lymphoedema Association in their state.

Question: I am 22 years old and my breasts are too large. They are quite saggy and I get rashes under them, and they cause me great discomfort. I would like to know who I can see about getting my breasts uplifted and decreased in size, the effects of the operation and how much it would cost.
Women with very large breasts can find them to be both uncomfortable and embarrassing. They develop fungal and heat rashes under the breast, and tired shoulder and back muscles from supporting them. They get in the way when Performing some tasks, and make the woman look fatter than she is. Many women gain enormous benefit by having a breast reduction operation per-formed, and the sooner such a procedure is undertaken, the better. There are a lot of plastic surgeons who perform this procedure, and you should discuss with your general practitioner who s/he recommends in your area.
There are a number of different ways of reducing the breast size, but in the most common operation, a slice of tissue and fat is removed from the underside of the breast, so that the resulting scar is in the fold under the breast, and barely noticeable. If nothing further was done, the nipple would be left pointing at the floor instead of straight ahead, so a further vertical cut must be made, to allow the nipple to be moved further up the smaller breast. The resultant vertical scar is below the nipple on an area of the breast that is rarely exposed to public view.
After the operation, you will feel much more comfortable, you will still be able to breast feed, and no one except your most intimate friends will ever know.
The costs involved in the operation will be partially refunded by Medicare (for the doctor’s fees) and your private health fund (for the hospital charges and part of the doctor’s fee). If you have no private insurance, you may have to pay $3000 to $4000. You should discuss this further at the initial consultation with the plastic surgeon, which will put you under no obligation to proceed further unless you wish to.