Axillary Lymph Node Clearance Surgery

What is an axillary lymph node clearance?

The axilla (armpit) contains 10-40 lymph nodes. If breast cancer spreads, it most commonly goes to these lymph nodes. An axillary lymph node clearance (ALNC) or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) removes the lymph nodes under the arm in a certain anatomical location rather than removing a specific number of nodes. This allows us to check how many lymph nodes have cancer and further plan your treatment. 

How long is the operation and how long do I stay in hospital?

Everyone is different, but on average, the procedure takes around one hour. When you wake up, there will be a small plastic tube connected to a bag (a drain) coming out of the skin below your wound. The drain removes blood and fluid produced by the body after an operation.

Most patients stay in hospital for 2-3 nights and then will go home with the drain in. Depending on where you live, community nurses may visit you or you will be taught to manage your drain. You can continue doing most normal things whilst the drain is in but you will need to carry the drain with you in a small bag to ensure it doesn’t get pulled out

What are the complications of ALNC?

Dr Graham will discuss the risks and complications associated with this procedure with you prior to going ahead with surgery. These include but are not limited to pain, swelling, bleeding, infection and lymphoedema.

Dr Graham advocates the National Law and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) guidelines that any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.