Mastectomy bulges under arms

   I have that bulge on my mastectomy side and it has nothing to do with being heavy, although I have noticed that is more pronounced in latter years now that I am heavier.  My PS always said he was going to go back and correct it, but never did and he is since deceased.  It got worse after I had a reaction to the polyeurethane covering on the implant which was supposed to dissolve, but did not and caused me to have lumps all along the incision line.  When they went in and removed the offending implant and cleaned everything up, I had to have a drain for about a week and then the swollen area under my arm got even larger than it was.  I think it is because they took the lymph nodes out there when I had my mastectomy  and they have a trail they follow and that was lost when they took them out and it wasn't reconnected so it's lymph that just sort of collects there.( my english teacher is up in heaven shaking her head at all my run-on sentences.)  No one has told me that for a fact, but it makes sense to me.  I quit wearing sleeveless things a long time ago because I have fat arms and now have that skin that just sort of hangs there than older women seem to be cursed with.  If I don't wear things that are too fitted, it is not noticable to anyone except me. 

Linda, I think that is great you had something positive happen. Do not know how I would have delt walking hunched over for two weeks though. 

Yeah the not sleeping was bad and I did not want pills forever.  Best of luck...if you any question just PM me

My GP called them dog tails.  I had a double and have them on both sides.  The PA at the Onco. Sug office said they were because there is no weight from a breast to pull the muscle forward.  That makes sense.  The PS said if they lipo that it doesn't last.  I had immediate reconstruction and if has been a bad experience.  One high one low can't find a bra to help both.  I was considering getting a Lat flap as the right side had radiation and is still changing (stopped rad in Aug) but now I am thinking about having the implants removed and having no breasts and just bras.  It is so hard to know what to do and this process is so long. Sorry to go on and on.

Hi Yolanda,

Have you posted your question about whether or not revisions are okay with lymphedema on the Lymphedema discussion board? I've seen similar questions there; the women on that board are very knowledgeable and should have some good advice. Generally, I think that a minor procedure shouldn't present too much of a risk. In fact, in some cases, removing extra tissue and clearing out scar tissue may even make lymph drainage easier; at least I've heard that on these boards.

It depresses me that your breast surgeon so completely failed to listen to you. And it certainly won't hurt to seek a lot of PS opinions before you do anything. Good luck!

Barbara

BreastFree.org

I just want to thank all of you for sharing your experiences.  I get my drains out tomorrow. no more cancer!! what a relief. I agree that the drains are very uncomfortable. Will I have dog ears? I don't know yet, but if I do I will certainly explore my options. I am not having reconstruction.  I gained a lot of wt. on the steroids after my lumpectomy in 2006 so I am looking forward to losing it now.  I will continue to read the blogs herein and search for information. We are all survivors. What price Life?

You ladies are so lucky!

Fifteen years ago (May '95) when I had my RB mx, it was done by a general surgeon at a local hospital.  There was no dialogue re dogs ears, plastic surgeons etc,.

When I questioned the surgeon about the grapefruit sized lump under my arm, I was told that he did that so that the lymphatic fluid could drain away.  I spent 8 days in hospital with 2 drains, one of them being removed on the 7th day by a nurse whose middle name was 'torture' she nearly had me screaming but my pride wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

The drainage fell below 40mls in the following 24 hrs so the 2nd drain was removed by a nurse whose middle name was 'Angel' she did it so painlessly and earned herself a slave for life.

Apart from the medical personnel involved in my treatment since, I have never mentioned the 'lump' to another soul, as I was afraid if I told other women about it, they would put off getting mammograms done or getting breast lumps checked out.

It was only this year, after being dxed w/mets, when I started reading about BC and, by default, 'dogs ears' that I put 2 + 2 together!

Imagine that, how dumb can a woman be? Mind you, there was no 'net back then either.

Fingers crossed, I did NOT get lymphedema, but when I had the damm thing blow up like a football in the first week out of hospital, why didn't anyone tell me what it was for then?  Nobody ever mentioned reconstruction or plastic surgeons either. 

One intern Dr at the hospital tried to drain it with the smallest needle ever made and couldn't get one drop out of it; she said there was no fluid there. I had to wait another 6 days for my surgeon to come back from wherever, who used a large knitting needle type of syringe, to drain 500mls out of it.

Maybe this is why I am slightly paranoid about the Drs I deal with in this current 'go round.'

Sheila.

I had my "dog ears" removed this July, and an eyelid lift at the same time. I called them side boobs because that's what they were, in a tank top they would pop out... I'm very happy with the results although wearing the iron maidenform (super tight compression bra) nearly drove me nuts. The worst pain would happen while asleep because I'd move without care, but it was really only about two weeks of pain.

I'm very pleased with the results, the only con is that my chest is down to the bone, no fat blanket and yet the rest of me still has a layer. I've been working towards having an actual waistline with a number lower than my chest, which post mastectomy were the same number. The good news is that I've lost over thirty pounds and an inch and a half around my waist. The bad news? The surgery removed three inches from my old measurement. Keep on walking, keep losing weight or deal with being built like a hot dog.

I don't have dog ears, I have dog HEADS.  These lumps are enormous.  It feels like I have a puppy under each arm.  Of course, I am a heavy girl, so maybe this was all fat, but all I know is that it wasn't there before my BMX.  My PS blew it off entirely (only one reason why I am retiring her.)  I just sent in my information to another PS regarding potential DIEP reconstruction.  Hopefully, they will be able to do that and fix these dog heads.

Sophiee, I hope all went well with you surgery. I'd be very interested in hearing your about your experience! I had a consult today with a plastic surgeon to have mine removed...just have to wait for insurance approval which may take 30 days.

My plastic surgeon explained to me that the ears or lumps left under our arms were there all along, but the weight of the natural breast pulls it forward so that it is not a lump before we have mastectomy. Makes very good sense. Also she never is comfortable doing all at the same surgery because you are at the edge of the sterile fields during that part of the surgery after the big 2-3,hour removing all the breast tissue...increasing a chance for infection. I would like to get rid of mine, but being a McFattie anyway....I can't stand the thought of drains again. Brenda

Beatmon ,they don't usually use drains after excising a dog ear. In most cases, it's done with local anesthetic right in the PS' office, you're given dissolvable stitches, and they heal up in about 2 weeks.

I had mine removed in the hospital, can't imagine having it done in the office. I never heard of that.

My UMX was 11 days ago and the only real discomfort is under the arm...mainly the dog ear. Oh my goodness, that thing will need to go. It feels like someone wadded up a rough washcloth and stuck it there, My poor DH just doesn't get it when I try to explain so it is good to hear what others have done, I don't think we even have a PS in our town but that won't stop me. My next post op I will ask the BS what she has heard from her patients who have had them removed and where they went. I just can't imagine dealing with this irritating blob forever,

Although many of these posts are outdated, i think i will ads to this in hopes someone will read it and also post i had my double mastectomy in January and I still have those bulges under my arms. The one under the left has always hurt and STILL hurts. The aurgwon said it was not lympodemeia just left over feom surgery. Well, I wish I could figure out a solution to make it stop hurting. Sometimes you find out that even as long as my time removed, a year later, the pain is still there. My surgeon also told me that this pain and the incision pain may be aa good as it gets for me. I refuse to believe this. I hope it is just the nerves repairing themselves.

Tracey6434,

The solution is likely going to be to have the dog ears excised (removed); this does involve lengthening the scar/old incision line; the amount depends on how large the dog ear actually is. Dog ears can be tender/painful even if they're not huge, and the solution is still to have them removed so they're not constantly being irritated by being rubbed/pinched with normal movement. Really, the only way to deal with a dog ear that's painful or tender is to have the dog ear removed; it generally won't get any better as long as the extra skin/flesh is left there.

If your plastic surgeon refuses to remove them, in all honestly, find a different plastic surgeon; it's weird to think of a PS refusing to deal with dog ears (or even left over bra rolls) if the patient has asked that they be removed. It's generally covered by insurance (in the US anyway) as a revision of the original surgery.