Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
A sentinel lymph node biopsy does not require extensive aftercare. In most cases, the patient goes home after the procedure or after an overnight stay in the hospital.
The surgeon will discuss the laboratory findings with the patient. If the...
sentinel node was found to contain cancer cells, the surgeon will usually recommend a full axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). This is a more invasive procedure in which a larger number of lymph nodes—usually 12–15—is surgically removed. A drainage tube is placed for two to three weeks and the patient must undergo physical therapy at home.
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The sentinel lymph node is the hypothetical first lymph node or group of nodes reached by metastasizing cancer cells from a tumor.
The concept of the sentinel lymph node is important because of the advent of the sentinel lymph node biopsy technique, also known as a sentinel node procedure. This technique is used in the staging of certain types of cancer to see if they have spread to any lymph nodes, since lymph node metastasis is one of the most important prognostic signs.
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