Hello there and thanks for posting

I am sorry to hear you needed to have treatment for breast cancer a few years ago but hope you are well in yourself today.

It is fair to say that people who have had surgery to the armpit to remove lymph nodes are often told to avoid having their blood pressure or needles in that arm following surgery to reduce the risk of further complications such as lymphoedema (swelling) to the arm.

However there has been some research carried out in this area that suggest that this risk is minimal, even more so in patients who have not gone on to develop lymphoedema. Therefore if the unaffected arms veins aren't working then the affected arm or a vein in the foot can be used.

I hope this helps, please get back if you have further questions.

All the best

Naomi