ABSTRACT
Objective:To study the effect of early nursing intervention to prevent lymphedema of upper limb after breast cancer surgery and its effect on postoperative quality of life.Methods:Between July 2018 and March 2020, one hundred and seventeen cases of breast cancer, all female, admitted to department of thyroid and breast surgery, the affiliated Zhongshan hospital of Dalian University, were underwent modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. Fifty-eight cases were included in the control group whereas fifty-nine cases were in the intervention group. The control group received conventional nursing, the intervention group added early care intervention measures on the basis of conventional nursing. Follow-ups were carried out monthly in a period of 9 months post-surgery. The incidence and grade of lymphedema were compared between the two groups.Results:The incidences of lymphedema at 1,3,9 months after surgery were 8.5% (5/59), 8.5% (5/59), 10.2% (6/59) in the intervention group, which were lower than 31.0% (18/58), 36.2% (21/58), 43.1% (25/58) in the control group. Statistics showed significant difference between the two groups ( χ2 value was 9.425, 13.041, 16.289, P<0.05). The incidence of mild, moderate, and severe lymphedema were statistically different between the two groups ( χ2 value was 10.350, 12.078, 17.422, P<0.05). Follow-up for the quality of life was assessed using a 5-dimension evaluation method, including physical status, social/family status, emotional status, functional status and additional attention. One month follow-up showed 20.36±1.80, 20.03±1.68, 34.63±3.52, 15.86±1.96, 19.81±1.04 in the intervention group, all higher than the control group 17.03±1.36, 17.10±1.46, 19.38±1.51, 10.91±1.22, 18.36±1.21. Three-month follow-up showed 23.56±2.72, 23.73±2.20, 39.93±4.17, 20.31±3.04, 26.37±2.23 in the intervention group, higher than those of the control group 20.90±2.14, 19.12±2.63, 25.79±3.59, 13.97±2.67, 21.02±2.50. Nine month follow-up showed 27.44±2.01, 25.80±1.85, 40.88±3.72, 21.02±2.78, 27.02±2.45 in the intervention group, which were high than the control group 19.93±1.66, 20.67±1.46, 19.38±2.29, 16.33±2.65, 22.29±2.52. The difference between the two groups were statistically significant ( t value was 8.691-34.383, P<0.05). Conclusions:Early nursing intervention could prevent lymphedema of upper limb after breast cancer surgery, delay the progress of lymphedema, reduce the incidence and grade of lymphedema, and promote the rehabilitation of patients' affected limbs, improve quality of Life of patients, which is worthy of clinical application.