Groin Dissection or Not? Recovery from groin dissection

I had TEN tumor cells in the sentinel node. I had the dissection surgery on 1/30. I stayed in hospital two nights so I could learn how to get around with the walker. I also have a drain in for two weeks

i couldn't imagine working, sitting at a desk all day. I think two to three weeks recovery before work. It is a painful surgery to me. Every little misstep brings searing white hot pain down my thigh. 

For my husband and myself, we preferred surgery over cancer. We could have refused further treatment. 

Do you have a teaching hospital in Atlanta?  That's where I would look for a good doctor. 

Keep you chin up!

I had TEN tumor cells in the sentinel node. I had the dissection surgery on 1/30. I stayed in hospital two nights so I could learn how to get around with the walker. I also have a drain in for two weeks

i couldn't imagine working, sitting at a desk all day. I think two to three weeks recovery before work. It is a painful surgery to me. Every little misstep brings searing white hot pain down my thigh. 

For my husband and myself, we preferred surgery over cancer. We could have refused further treatment. 

Do you have a teaching hospital in Atlanta?  That's where I would look for a good doctor. 

Keep you chin up!

I had TEN tumor cells in the sentinel node. I had the dissection surgery on 1/30. I stayed in hospital two nights so I could learn how to get around with the walker. I also have a drain in for two weeks

i couldn't imagine working, sitting at a desk all day. I think two to three weeks recovery before work. It is a painful surgery to me. Every little misstep brings searing white hot pain down my thigh. 

For my husband and myself, we preferred surgery over cancer. We could have refused further treatment. 

Do you have a teaching hospital in Atlanta?  That's where I would look for a good doctor. 

Keep you chin up!

Hi ,

Would post request for Atlanta specialists as a new request… It is hidden a bit here.

As regards groin dissection.. Not a minor surgery and many do sartorious muscle switch to cover off potential probs with infection etc. I was only in hospital 2days but developed seroma huge and lymphoedema as soon as drains removed. Might consider availability of stage 3 immunotherapy before making a call if I had to do it again. Had a knee replacement only 2months before groin op and after the second surgery and loss of good lymph flow got a latent infection in an old knee surgery scar. Was eventually recognised but knee function still poor after third surgery due to deep infection. Psychologically it was good to think all possible nodes with cancer had gone from groin..but seems I was not lucky and roughly 12 months later had a groin recurrence at the same time as liver mets on ct scan. If you go for dissection try to get as experienced surgeon as possible…I did have an experienced surgeon but keep getting unlucky breaks..guess my disease is aggresive.

Scar tissue creates barriers for lymph and so it has to work its way round the scars…got back to driving pretty quickly but need to elevate limb as much as possible. Drains may be your companions for more than 2 weeks which even with a desk job is not that practical as you need to be v careful they are not pulled from the wound by accident .

Think there are a wide range of experiences on this.. So you may have far less problems..but the fact that research is ongoing as to benefits v ultra sound obs of groin where sentinel node has small number of cells makes me think decision is not clear cut.

Best wishes whatever you decide.

Hi ,

Would post request for Atlanta specialists as a new request… It is hidden a bit here.

As regards groin dissection.. Not a minor surgery and many do sartorious muscle switch to cover off potential probs with infection etc. I was only in hospital 2days but developed seroma huge and lymphoedema as soon as drains removed. Might consider availability of stage 3 immunotherapy before making a call if I had to do it again. Had a knee replacement only 2months before groin op and after the second surgery and loss of good lymph flow got a latent infection in an old knee surgery scar. Was eventually recognised but knee function still poor after third surgery due to deep infection. Psychologically it was good to think all possible nodes with cancer had gone from groin..but seems I was not lucky and roughly 12 months later had a groin recurrence at the same time as liver mets on ct scan. If you go for dissection try to get as experienced surgeon as possible…I did have an experienced surgeon but keep getting unlucky breaks..guess my disease is aggresive.

Scar tissue creates barriers for lymph and so it has to work its way round the scars…got back to driving pretty quickly but need to elevate limb as much as possible. Drains may be your companions for more than 2 weeks which even with a desk job is not that practical as you need to be v careful they are not pulled from the wound by accident .

Think there are a wide range of experiences on this.. So you may have far less problems..but the fact that research is ongoing as to benefits v ultra sound obs of groin where sentinel node has small number of cells makes me think decision is not clear cut.

Best wishes whatever you decide.

Hi ,

Would post request for Atlanta specialists as a new request… It is hidden a bit here.

As regards groin dissection.. Not a minor surgery and many do sartorious muscle switch to cover off potential probs with infection etc. I was only in hospital 2days but developed seroma huge and lymphoedema as soon as drains removed. Might consider availability of stage 3 immunotherapy before making a call if I had to do it again. Had a knee replacement only 2months before groin op and after the second surgery and loss of good lymph flow got a latent infection in an old knee surgery scar. Was eventually recognised but knee function still poor after third surgery due to deep infection. Psychologically it was good to think all possible nodes with cancer had gone from groin..but seems I was not lucky and roughly 12 months later had a groin recurrence at the same time as liver mets on ct scan. If you go for dissection try to get as experienced surgeon as possible…I did have an experienced surgeon but keep getting unlucky breaks..guess my disease is aggresive.

Scar tissue creates barriers for lymph and so it has to work its way round the scars…got back to driving pretty quickly but need to elevate limb as much as possible. Drains may be your companions for more than 2 weeks which even with a desk job is not that practical as you need to be v careful they are not pulled from the wound by accident .

Think there are a wide range of experiences on this.. So you may have far less problems..but the fact that research is ongoing as to benefits v ultra sound obs of groin where sentinel node has small number of cells makes me think decision is not clear cut.

Best wishes whatever you decide.