Functional effects of preserving the intercostobrachial nerve and the lateral thoracic vein during axillary dissection in breast cancer conservative surgery

Conventional axillary dissection in breast cancer surgery implicates the section of the neurovascular elements passing through the dissected tissue: the intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) and lateral thoracic vein (LTV). Preservation of the ICBN during axillary dissection is well documented in the literature, with slightly contradictory results of its influence to postoperative pain. There is no published data, as far as we know, on the functional effects of preserving the LTV. We supposed that ligation of the LTV contributes to the emergence of postoperative breast edema, which is common in breast cancer conservative surgery. The preservation of venous drainage could diminish the frequency of this undesired occurrence.