Skin stuck to chest after Mastectomy

Massaging cream into it daily would help....it did for me.

Hello,

I had the same problem I was given a book with some exercises to do like walking my fingers up the wall and doing stretches. Massaging the area with some cocco butter may also help. The excercise book is from the cancer society. Hope this helps.

It feels as if the skin is stuck to your chest wall because that's what has happened.

The surgeon cuts underneath the skin and scrapes out the breast tissue, and then lays the skin back down over the chest muscles and ribs.  The body reacts to that tissue damage by creating "adhesions" (scar tissue) to connect those two layers and eliminate the space. 

There normally is "loose" connective tissue between skin and muscle or skin and bone, which allows the skin to slide.  (Check this out on the other side of your chest, or anywhere else where there is skin lying over bone or muscle.)

Stretching exercises and massage are designed to help loosen those "adhesions" and replace the stiff scar tissue in there with the normal "loose" tissue.  I found that you not only have to inhale (take deep breaths), but exhale and scrunch your chest wall (rib cage) inward.  You can even take your fingers and gently move the skin around at that point, encouraging release of the adhesions.

The best thing to do, though, is get a referral to a physical therapist--preferably one who is trained and experienced with treating breast cancer patients.  (You should try to get a therapist who is certified for LE therapy, just in case.)  The therapist will teach you exercises and treatments that will help to "release" those adhesions.

As Madalyn said, the lotion itself will not change those adhesions--what works is the process of moving the skin around (gently!) to massage it in. 

otter

Dear sjohns2009,

I am only 4 weeks post op today. When I read your post about 10 days ago my heart went out to you. I told my husband about your post and we think of you often wondering how you are doing and I pray for you daily. 

I was having some of the same issues when I read your post and I had no idea what to say to you. Since then I have researched a bit and and I have found that massage of the skin,and  scar tissue is the long term answer . massage massage massage, not just the nipples but the whole chest I am told , for about a year at least, I use some vitamin E lotion to help my fingers slide across my skin. other lotions absorb and you have to reapply , when you touch your chest the scar tissue is the hard feeling bands that seem so tight and feel like your breathing is constricted. I felt like I had a super tight under wire bra on, and it was hard to take a deep breath. My PS said if you massage 24/7 you have a good start. I began massaging all the time ( except when I was at work, that might be distracting, ) I stretch at least once an hour taking deep breaths and holding it , pushing my chest out and holding it. After 4 days off and a commitment to stretch, & massage 24/7 I had noticeable improvement, my PS was very pleased. Thursday I have an appointment with my masseuse to work on the scar tissue because my fingers get tired. 

What you describe is actually what happened, the skin is stuck to your chest. As the body heals it constructs little spider web like structures to help hold your body together. If we do nothing about it , the scar tissue can be come very very thick and hard. Massaging helps break down the the little (webs) and restores the more normal feeling. I hope this helps, hang in there, we are not defined by our bodies but who we are in side, how we think and treat others. and how we treat ourselves. My daughter is getting married Saturday, I have a beautiful dress I will wear, I will celebrate and thank God that I am alive to be there.

Take care.

Dolly's mom ( Dolly is my Clydesdale)

Not just you Geraldine, and mine was getting a lot better 2 months after surgery. Then i started rads and sorry but I have to warn you it has got worse again towards the end of this, and right now my skin is a bit too tender to be messing and pulling it around like i was before. The problems I had at one month lifting my arm fully, which I just had sorted in time to starts rads, is also coming back this week. Boo. But as soon as I can, I will be chasing for physio referral cos I'm getting fed up with it like this, i want to be fit to get back to work soon. Sometimes it's so hard to say "I need help". Stick with your exercises Geraldine, and I was told take the painkilers if you need them in order to keep stretching. Good luck

It has been over a year since my BMX, in fact, almost two years.  I had a lot of adhesions so went to physical therapy and stretched a lot.   I also do self massage and get regular massages, which include work on my scars.  At this point, when every I slack off on the stretching and massages, my scars feel tight and uncomfortable, even though my range of motion is normal.  

I've been told or read that it takes two years for scar tissue to fully mature. 

I am 4 months post exchange and also have adhesions. Today my chest is flaming red and hot because 2 nights ago I tried to work out some of the adhesions with massage. I'm PRAYING I am not having an infection. My scars are adhered to my implants on both sides. I need to go see PS but I have SO many medical appointments that I literally couldn not take another half day off from work. I plan to call PS tomorrow if I am still all red.

just wondering how you are doing now that it’s been a few years. Mine is stuck also n has not gotten any better, plus my pec muscle is trapped in the armpit area and I can’t raise my arm up like a normal person and in trying to raise it up to the side it doesn’t even go up to shoulder level. Surgeons say they have never seen this before. I went to an ortho dr. Who told my PT therapist he had never seen one as bad as mine!