Relationship of postoperative exercises to recovery of radical mastectomy patients.

The incidence of breast cancer is widespread and usually necessitates a radical mastectomy procedure. The literature is replete with articles suggesting that postoperative exercising is necessary to prevent edema and/or limitation of motion of the arm on the operative side9 when a radical mastectomy is performed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether planned and supervised exercising to mastectomy patients would alter the recovery and return to usual activities. It was hypothesized that special pre-discharge care and teaching would significantly influence recovery and return to usual activities. The sample consisted of 10 female patients, ranging in age from 35 to 73. Criterion for selection was radical mastectomy with removal of accompanying lymphatics and pectoral muscles. The patients were alternately placed in a control or experimental group. The experimental group received planned and guided exercises by researcher for seven days. The control group received usual hospital care.