RECONSTRUCTION PAIN - 1 Year Post! PLEASE HELP!

Meeshelle
Meeshelle Member Posts: 5
edited December 2018 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi ladies. I've had quite a few surgeries post bc diagnosis. I had a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and tissue expanders 8-2017. I was in excruciating pain, hurt to talk or even take a breath.. I did the exchange surgery in November 2017 and the pain was still so terrible, I found a specialist PS who would put them on top of my muscle. I didnt know I had this option initially or I would have gone this route.. I would not have this pec muscle pain! That was done January 2018. 10 months later, I still have the terrible tightness in my chest. It feels like an iron bra, or a blood pressure cuff around my entire chest 24/7.. My PEC muscles spasm and move up and down and literally pinch me every time I move, probably as a result from the 1st recon surgery. I'm now having having terrible back pain! The nightmare just keeps getting worse, not better. I would love to get them out, but I don't think I'm emotionally ready for that. I lost the love of my life unexpectedly last Feb so I'm very depressed.. Having a terrible panic disorder with all of this doesnt help. I am a thin woman (5'8" 120lbs) and very active.. I've been doing PT, myofascial release and acupuncture for over a year now. Nothing has helped.. Has anyone done botox to stunt the pec muscle nerves? I truly cant believe I'm willing to endure this pain and torture just to have a size A lump on my chest.. Can any of you give me any input on whether or not your tightness went away after a year?!!! THANK YOU, IM DESPERATE!!

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  • Yaniza
    Yaniza Member Posts: 140
    edited November 2018

    Meeshelle

    Botox was suggested to me before my revision to prepectoral reconstruction . I'm finding your description of your situation hard to understand. I don't mean that you're not explaining it well just that I'm having trouble understanding how your pectoral muscles are still being affected if your implants are now on top of them. What is your doctors explanation for why you still have cramping in your muscles?

    Yaniza

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  • Meeshelle
    Meeshelle Member Posts: 5
    edited November 2018

    Hi Yaniza, thank you so much for your post. Yes my implants are now on top of my pec muscles, and we THOUGHT they would go back to normal and I would have less pain. Unfortunately, they are still very painful even after the surgery where we put them back down on my chest wall. My doctor says sometimes they are permanently damaged from the first surgery from when the muscles were severed and that they never go back to the way they were, even with the implants now on top of them. So I'm one of the unlucky ones who's pec muscles are not going back to the way they were prior to my mx and sub pectoral implants. If I would have had direct to implant on top of the muscle, my pec muscles would not have been damaged in the first place. Can you please give me more info on what your doctor said in regards to the botox. 3 of the top plastic surgeons here in minneapolis have never done botox to settle down the muscle, so I might have to travel to another state to have it done. I'm DESPERATE so I will do just that. I just need help finding a doctor who does this..

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  • Yaniza
    Yaniza Member Posts: 140
    edited November 2018

    Meesh, when botox was suggested to me my muscles were a lot more accessible because I hadn't undergone my revision to prepectoral. I'm afraid I dismissed the idea out of hand because I knew the effects of Botox don't last and I had no intention of going back repeatedly to relax those muscles.

    I must say I'm very curious about your situation. I'm sure you've tried Googling to look for answers. There are a couple of threads on this site that deal with prepectoral reconstruction and I've searched most of them for information and I haven't come across a situation like yours. We are about the same size and weight. I'm wondering, what size and kind of implants did you end up with after your revision surgery and have you had any fat grafting done?

    Also how were you cautioned to care for yourself after your revision surgery?

    Yaniza

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  • Auralaine
    Auralaine Member Posts: 17
    edited December 2018

    YES! I'm five years out from reconstruction and every waking minute since I've had the sensation of very tight constriction. I honestly dont know for sure if my implants are under or over my pecs??? but believe they're over because there just seems like a thin layer of skin over the implants and that's it. But I constantly feel like I'm wearing a really tight bra that I can never take off. My PS is in upstate NY and I've moved since then, otherwise I'd have gone back to ask if this is normal and if there's anything he could do. But it recently occurred to me to consult another PS here, so I did. He seemed a little puzzled over the symptom, but did mention that my implants are textured, which could have adhered more tightly to the chest wall. He says he could replace them with smooth silicon implants that should feel better, but I'm not sure if insurance will cover that. I'm going to look into it.


    But you're the first person I've found that has this same issue! I dont have back pain, but do occasionally have pain when inhaling deeply. But the iron band pressure is 24/7.


    I'm wondering if your implants are textured as well? (There's also research now connecting the textured implants with lymphoma in rare instances, although the FDA doesn't recommend replacing them yet. Otherwise insurance wod probably pay for that reason. )


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  • Yaniza
    Yaniza Member Posts: 140
    edited December 2018

    Auralaine,

    I'm guessing that you're reconstruction is subpectoral because it was 5 years ago but you should first of all find out if that's true.

    5 years ago there would have been very few pre pectoral reconstructions. The likelihood is that you have an all under the pec or a dual plane (partially under the pectoral muscle) reconstruction.

    Look up animation deformity. If this fits your experience that would be a clue.

    Yaniza

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