Surgery is still one of the main treatment methods for breast cancer patients. There are three common clinical procedures: modified radical breast cancer surgery, breast conserving + axillary lymph node dissection, and breast conserving + sentinel lymph node biopsy (axillary conserving). Among them, breast-conserving + anterior lymph node biopsy (axillary-conserving) is the least invasive and has no impact on the patient’s normal life and physiological functions, and does not require special rehabilitation. This procedure should be preferred for patients with relatively small primary masses and no axillary lymph node metastases. In contrast, the first two procedures include axillary lymph node dissection, and axillary lymph node dissection causes normal lymphatic return obstruction, which is one of the main causes of edema of the affected upper limbs, a common postoperative complication of breast cancer, and there is no specific treatment for edema of the affected upper limbs, so prevention is the key. After surgery and before the healing of the incision, breast cancer patients should follow the guidance of the surgeon and perform individualized and appropriate activities. After the healing of the incision, they should overcome the fear of pain and start to climb the wall in a gradual manner, 50-100 times a day, and gradually increase the height of the wall until the function reaches the same level as that of the healthy side upper limb. It should be noted that it is best for the patient to adhere to long-term arm raising exercise, which can play a positive role in preventing edema of the affected upper limb. In addition, prolonged dropping and heavy lifting of the affected upper limb should be avoided as much as possible, and fluid infusion should also be avoided. Patients with edema of the affected upper extremity can improve their symptoms to a certain extent by performing bilateral arm raising exercises, mechanical (limb circulation drive therapy) or manual (elastic bandage method) to assist reflux.