Can a participant who has had a mastectomy have an ABI?
A. Yes. We take the pressure in the other arm and use that to formulate a ratio. We do this because when a patient has had surgery for breast cancer, usually lymph nodes under the arm are removed as well. Compression of the lymph system of the arm can lead to painful swelling for a long time. If you’ve had a double mastectomy, we will perform the screening on whichever arm you use to have blood pressure taken. You may want to check with your doctor before your screening to find out which arm is preferable.
