It's not the mastectomy that calls for lymph node removal. If your doctor doesn't do sentinel node biopsy demand a surgeon who does and who has plenty of experience in it. No woman should have multiple lymph nodes removed to test for cancer only to find out she doesn't have cancer in them! Sentinel node biopsy is the only way to do that. They only remove 1-3 nodes and that gives a greatly reduced risk if lymphedema.

The lymph nodes need to be checked to determine if your cancer has spread beyond your breast.

Clarify how many lymph nodes your doctor will be taking. Sometimes, they are able to do a sentinel node biopsy and this saves you from having to have so many nodes taken. Not all cases would be appropriate for just a sentinel node biopsy. Ask your doctor if this is a possibility for you.

Lymphedema is a symptom that develops as a result of losing lymph nodes.
Not everyone that has lymph nodes removed will develop lymphedema. There are many factors that determine this-one being how many nodes need to be taken. Again, the best thing to do is ask your surgeon how many she/he will be taking. If lymphedema does develop, there is therapy that can be done, and garments to be used to help mange the issue.

Take care of yourself........I took my iPod into the surgical suite and listened to music as the staff was doing my anesthesia induction and next thing I knew, I was awake in the recovery room.

I had a lumpectomy with fertility preservation, chemo, and rads.

When I had my first surgery they took three nodes out. One of them was .2mm positive for cancer, so when my surgeon figured out he needed to go back for 1 mm of margin, he asked me if he could take out more nodes.

Based on my age, 26 at the time, the doctor said he was uncomfortable not going for more nodes, since the sentinel node studies had been done in women 40+. Since I was going to be under for the margins anyways, I decided to let him have at it, he took out 18 more, which were all clear. I have not had any problems with edema. Surgeon said total I had a 15% chance of it.

I agree with @A MyBCTeam Member. I had 3 nodes removed. And I agree with what was said before, make sure your doctor is suggesting what is called a sentinel node biopsy (essentially they test 2 sentinel nodes [lymphnodes closest to the breast] and 1 non-sentinel node to determine spread). I am glad I had it done because even though my doctors got clear margins in my mastectomy I still had to do chemo because I had cancer cells in my sentinel nodes. If they had never done that, I wouldn't have known...that thought is just scary!

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A MyBCTea...

I think if you find the right doctor you will have your answers. I had only three lymph nodes removed and have not had lymphadema. My mother had eight removed and no lymphadema. So I am not sure why some people get it and some do not.