Answer
Mrs Jackson has had radical mastectomy surgery. This usually involves removal of breast, areola, nipple, axillary lymph nodes, and lymphatic vessels in the area. The pain, lymphedema, and/or seroma, that the patient is feels and shows are usually present-- to varying degrees-- postoperatively, in this surgical operation...
After surgery , surgeons use tubes to drain blood, plasma, and interstitial fluid from the area. In some cases, if there is still swelling, accumulated ISF/lymphatic fluid may be removed by inspiration with syringes.
If there is no infection, and initial healing seems to be normal the surgeon or therapist will apply a compression sleeve over the arm to encourage and enhance lymphatic return of fluid from the area.
Work Step by Step
The pressure of compression garments increases the interstitial hydrostatic pressure and opposes the plasma hydrostatic pressure. This has the effect of decreasing the leakage of fluid from capillaries in the area. It may also increase the ISF return at the venous end of any adjacent, contributing capillary bed. Most importantly the compression would increase pressure in intact adjacent lymphatic vessels that must take on extra duties of draining the fluid from the surgical sites now devoid of lymphatic drainage. The increased pressure of the sleeves will raise the fluid pressure in the vessels and move the fluid faster out of the area. This should minimize or abolish ISF accumulation and decrease the swelling/edema.
The pain the patient is experiencing may be due to damage to small nerves, secondary to surgical removal of the lymph nodes and surrounding tissues. This may be aggravated by pressure of the swelling, and should get better with its subsidence. The pain and the swelling may be the cause of problems in raising her arm. One assumes that there is no serious nerve injury. It is not unusual that soreness results during healing after surgery. This makes movement uncomfortable for a while.
