Cording (axillary web syndrome) can develop weeks or months after breast surgery. It’s caused by hardened lymph vessels and feels like a tight cord running from your armpit down the inside of the arm, sometimes to the palm of your hand.
You may see and feel raised cord-like structures across your arm, chest or breast, which may limit how you move. Gentle exercises after surgery can help, as well as massage, physiotherapy or low-level laser treatment by a lymphoedema practitioner. Cording usually improves over a few months.
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A/Prof Cindy Mak, Breast Surgeon and Director of Breast Services, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW; A/Prof Nick Murray, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Royal Adelaide Hospital and GenesisCare Adelaide, SA; Caroline Bennett, Consumer; Tamara Casey, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Breast Assessment Unit, Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA; A/Prof Joe Dusseldorp, Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Lauren Lores, Consumer; Dr Linda Madigan, Breast Physician, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; Catherine Meredith, Consumer; Ash Mondolo, Breast Cancer Clinical Nurse Consultant, Mater Private Hospital, QLD; Chris Rivett, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Catrina Ross, McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Northern Sydney Local Health District, NSW; Prof Christobel Saunders AO, James Stewart Chair of Surgery and Director of Research, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, VIC; Dr Janice Yeh, Radiation Oncologist, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; A/Prof Yvonne Zissiadis, Radiation Oncologist, Medical Director, GenesisCare WA and Adjunct A/Prof, Curtin University, WA.
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