Pain and numbness at drain sites a year after surgery

llmedeir

Has anyone had or experience pain an numbness under arm and around back at the site where the drains were. It has been a year and still quite sore. Is this normal?

Moderators

Hi llmedeir! Just bumping this thread to see if anyone else has had similar experiences with drains and can offer some help. Hope it works!

The Mods

Sam2U

I don't know what is "normal" any more after this journey but I too have some tenderness and numbness around the area the drains were. It's been 2 1/2 years for me. The area has decreased in size over time, but there is still numbness and if you lightly press on the area the drains were, it hurts. My MO says it's ok, possibly nerve damage from the surgery.

ksusan

I've started lightly rubbing my scars, including the drain scars, to try to break up the scar tissue. I had a PT release the major adhesions, but there's clearly scar tissue running up from the drain exit sites that still needs to be addressed.

llmedeir

That is actually great advice. I never thought of massaging the area to see if that help. I have been specific excersises to tone the area, but will try this as well.

Blessings2011

llmedeir - I had my BMX in December 2011, and my Exchange in August 2012. Almost a year after BMX I still had that Iron Bra feeling, as well as a pesky implant that wanted to stay on my left shoulder.

I went to a Myofascial Release Massage Therapist, who worked on the muscles and nerves that had been cut during surgery. It was painful, but I actually walked out of her office TALLER because I wasn't hunched over in pain.

The other thing she did was Scar Tissue Mobilization. She worked on my BMX scars, but the WORST scars were from my drain holes!!! She worked on them for the longest time, saying they were so tight, they were causing pain to radiate elsewhere.

No, it's not normal, but it's common. You should see if there is someone in your area who can do some Scar Tissue Mobilization. (Breaking up adhesions...)

I always define pain as something that should be always be checked out... if there is honestly nothing that can be done, so be it.... but usually there are solutions we just haven't heard of yet.

Wishing you the best!

p.s. The therapist also got Lefty to drop into her permanent home.

llmedeir

thank you so much for the advise! I will try anything right now! Wish me luck with the doc!