#Groin lymph nodes skin#
#Groin lymph nodes full#

Nursing staff will train you in the proper care and arrange for follow up before returning home. You will likely stay in the hospital 1 or 2 nights and go home with the drain. Your physician will keep you on bed rest 4-6 hours following surgery.

#Groin lymph nodes skin#

Typically, an injection of heparin or clexane into the abdominal skin is performed to reduce the risk of blood clots. In addition to normal preparations for your surgery, you will also need to wear special stockings to prevent blood clots in the legs. You can expect the drain to remain in place for 3-4 weeks following the procedure. Homecare nurses will be arranged to check the drain and incision.

#Groin lymph nodes full#

The muscles of the abdominal wall are opened for full visibility of the lymph nodes this area is then repaired before closure of the surface wound.īecause any large wound produces fluid, a surgical drain (typically a soft, flexible silicone tube) is placed to collect the fluid. In order to do so a larger incision extending up toward the abdomen must be made. Sometimes, removal of the lymph nodes around the groin area, into the pelvis, is necessary. However, minor groin nerves exist that must be removed during the operation, which results in mild numbness in the upper thigh that is often permanent. The intention of the operation is to remove all of the lymph nodes and associated tissue without causing damage to any nearby arteries, veins, and nerves. Staples or stitches are used to close the incision. During the operation, your surgeon will make an incision in the groin. Once you are asleep, local anesthetic is injected into the area, to provide additional comfort after the procedure, which generally lasts 1-3 hours. What to Expect During a Lymph Node Groin Dissectionīefore the surgery, your anesthesiologist will give you general anesthetic, so you will not be awake during the procedure. The procedure takes about 1.5 hours to perform. The incisions are lower in the leg, away from the groin crease with the hope of decreasing the risk of infection, postoperative complications, and less pain. This approach allows the procedure to be done through three small incisions, rather than a larger incision. Minimally Invasive Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection (MILND)įox Chase Cancer Center is one of only a few centers in the country that offers a minimally invasive approach to inguinal lymph node dissection. You will see physical therapy prior to surgery in our preoperative lymphedema clinic and be instructed on exercises and measured for a compression garment. In general, if a patient is found to have melanoma within any lymph nodes, the recommended course of action is to remove them surgically. If melanoma is found in a lymph node in this region, a lymph node dissection, or clearance within the groin, is recommended, with the goal of controlling the progression or return of the cancer. If the nodes are enlarged and felt by yourself or your physician, or if nodes are found to harbor melanoma after a sentinel lymph node biopsy. Melanoma can spread to the inguinal lymph nodes. Lymph nodes found in the groin are called inguinal nodes. The human body contains lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and inguinal region. Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection for MelanomaĪn inguinal lymph node dissection (also known as a groin lymph node dissection) is the removal of lymph nodes and all tissue from the groin region that may contain tumors.