Immediate patient care after surgery

Abstract

Care for breast cancer patients requires cooperation among members of a multidisciplinary team. Nurses should explain reasons for surgery, risks, complications, and prevention of these complications during the preoperative period. The patients should be taught about exercise for turning and sitting in bed, elevation of the arm, exercises for the shoulder and the arm, coughing, and deep breathing exercises and encouraged to practice. Postoperative care involves provision of physical comfort, appropriate nutrition, and prevention of complications. Incisions are closed with sterile dressing material for 24-48 h after surgery. Patients are usually discharged when on drainage; therefore, nurses should teach patients care of drainage. Pain management is an important component of care after breast surgery. Multimodal analgesic regimens are used in pain management after breast surgery. After breast surgery, the patients may have temporary edema, hematoma, seroma, surgical site infection, restricted shoulder and arm movements (frozen shoulder/contracture), lymphedema, disrupted body image, sexual dysfunction, and psychological problems. The patients should be instructed how to prevent these complications. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.