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My breast surgeon said I can have both done but every time I mention to a nurse, they use the other arm.
@A MyBCTeam Member you can have blood drawn from either arm if all you have had is biopsy. But if you have surgery and node removal then it is best for them to draw from the opposite arm.
In the case of double mastectomy, the best place for blood draw will be the back of the hand or the foot. Unless you are diabetic, then you should never let anyone draw blood from the foot area.
Lymphedema from blood removal? Wowoo.. will look into this. Thank you for details! I got a lot to learn!
It is because of the risk of lymphedema. Trust me, that isn't something you want. I am a hard stick so every time I need an IV or blood drawn it is a huge ordeal. But I'm happy not to use the arm on my operative side. I don't need any more problems.
I used to work in a lab drawing blood and this is what we were taught. Lymphatic fluid can build up on that side and not properly filter waste and bacteria. There is also a higher chance of infection. If there is excessive fluid buildup it can dilute the blood and affect test results.
My nurses all have also said as well as my PCP to use the other arm. We have enough problems that could build up there and we don't need to add more
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