Objective To evaluate the feasibility of inserting peripherally inserted central catheter ( PICC) line in operative side upper limb of postoperative breast cancer patients .Methods A randomized clinical trial was conducted .Totally sixty postoperative patients receiving PICC were randomly divided into two groups.Patients in both groups were inserted PICC by standard procedure .Catheters in the observation group were inserted at the operative side upper limb .Catheters in the control group were inserted at healthy side upper limb.Nursing care was provided by one team of nurses to patients in both groups according to the unified “path of health education for patients with PICC” and“maintenance standards and complication treatment standards for PICC”. The mobility of shoulder after six months and the incidence of lymphedema , catheter-related complications were compared between groups .Results One patient in the observation group and two patients in the control had limitation of shoulder .There was no significant difference between groups ( Z=-0.587, P=0.557).Four patients with mild in two cases and moderate in two cases in the observation group and three patients with mild in one case and moderate in two cases in the control group had lymphedema .There was also no significant difference between the two groups (Z =-0.408, P =0.683).Twenty-nine patients in the observation group and thirty patients in the control group once succeeded in the inserting of PICC .The difference was not significant (χ2 =1.017, P=0.313).There were no statistical differences in catheter length , exposure length, operating time and catheter indwelling time ( P >0.05 ).Conclusions It is feasible for the postoperative breast cancer patients to insert PICC lines in operative side upper limb .