Anyone's Skin Stuck to Chest After Wound Vac Treatment? TIGHT!

Strike_Two

I haven't been around in a while, so brief history -  my surgery was at the beginning of December, my body rejected the the right tissue expander, and I spent three weeks in the hospital being treated for massive infection.    Blood transfusions, massive antibiotics, more surgeries,  home on a wound vac with a nurse because we were trying to get me healed more quickly so I could start chemo.  The infection really delayed my treatment start, but I am now finished and bald.    Treatment was a breeze compared to what I'd been through earlier.  

Anyway, the wound vac basically "vaccuum packed" my skin to my chest, and it is NOT moving.  It's awful.  I can't get comfortable at night, especially.  

Can someone tell me if this gets any better? 

My plastic surgeon seems to think that the only way to "unstick" me is to do reconstruction and stick something under there - most likely tram surgery.  But after the drama of December, I have to say that I'm a bit frightened of more surgery, and I write this as someone who has a lot of experience with surgery and have never really been frightened before.  

Does it ever get better?  

Strike_Two

Has no one ever had this problem but me?

I've been reading about other women who have used wound vacs here, but I haven't found anyone who describes this yet.  Since there's no breast tissue lef or fat, my skin has "stuck" to whatever is left. Is that a muscle?  If it is, it's awfully thin.  I can feel my ribs as if though paper, and  my skin does not move at all.   It's weird.  It's very uncomfortable.  

Kindest regards to all of you diagnosed with this disease.  

Jennt28

bumping this message for you - hoping someone sees this that can help you with information...



You might try looking in the area about not choosing a reconstruction because I think you might find other women in there that have had the same problem with adhesions.



Jenn

bethcw

I also had a vound vac (and a skin graft) in March after a failed DIEP attempt.  My skin graft was paper thin, right on top of my ribs, and definitely stuck and not moving.  Now it is starting to look like more normal skin. 

I just finished 6 weeks of physical therapy and that has made a world of difference for me!  You need to have a PT that is a certified lymphadema therapist (look for PT, CLT-LANA certification). My PT did a lot of myofascial release techniques with me, and they really worked wonders!  I almost have normal range of motion and the skin now moves like it is supposed to.  I would definitely give it a try.

Strike_Two

Thanks for the reply.  Yeah, I had a skin graft, as well.  It does NOT move.  I seriously can't imagine therapy helping, since I have been massaging the darn area for months, but I will definitely look into it!  Like you wrote, it's paper think and just looks like the whole area is sucked in.   Flat?    I'd be thrilled to be "flat"  at the moment. LOL

virginiab

I had a wound vac for healing issues after an ankle replacement a decade ago, so not really the same, but I do have some familiarity with the wound vac.

I suspect that the issue is not about the wound vac, but that they most likely placed the TE under the chest muscles, as I understand that is where they place TEs. When you lost a bunch of tissue to infection, that included the chest muscle that (at that point) was probably on top of the TE. Now you are left with just the skin graft between your ribs and the world. I suspect that it may take a year or two before everything is really settled in that area, and that you may have very little between the ribs and the world in front of you, but as the skin graft continues to heal and grow its own new cells, it may well become more comfortable. So keep massaging and be patient. My thoughts are with you!

Strike_Two

Virginia, thank you for taking the time to reply.  

You know, I was so out of it with so much infection and fever that there is a lot I don't remember.  It seems impossible that I would have muscle between my skin and my ribs - there's nothing there!  Could I have lost my entire muscle?  That doesn't seem right, and it's very puzzling.   I was taken back three or four times to the operating room over several days to clean out the infection, but it never dawned on me that I might have lost tissue or muscle in the process!

Strike