Expander on top of peck pain/pressure/burning after DMx

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PRides
PRides Member Posts: 12
edited January 2019 in Breast Reconstruction

I'm 20 days post DMx with expander on top of pec surgery. How long will I be dealing with the pain/pressure/burning from the expander, mainly in my armpit? I am off pain meds, just alternating motrin/tylenol. I have 1 more drain to get rid of (hopefully Fri), 3rd fill on Fri and plan to start PT. Expander to implant surgery is 5/8. I cannot imagine dealing with this pain until then.

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  • borogirl
    borogirl Member Posts: 86
    edited January 2019

    some of the pain is from the trauma to your body from surgery itself. You just got all that tissue cut/scraped out so there are a lot of cut surfaces in you, and that will gradually heal. The other pain is from the TEs, foreign objects that are not yet fully inflated (think of a deflated football) and therefore there are edges sticking out and creases rubbing. My BMX was 11/12/18 and the first type of pain had really dissipated within about a month. The pain and discomfort from TE got better as I got fills which inflated and therefore smoothed out the edges. I am done with fills now, waiting for exchange surgery on Feb 8, but because I am only filled to 400cc in TEs that hold 500, they still have some dents and discomfort, but nothing I need pain Med for. Just really looking forward to sleeping on my side again at some point.

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  • macb04
    macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
    edited January 2019

    PRides, That is unusual to hear that much armpit pain for an over the Pectoral TE. Maybe Borogirl is right, and It's the edges of the semifilled TE hitting a sensitive area. Stop over to the Prepectoral Implant Reconstruction thread. Ask and maybe someone else can share a similar experience.

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics/835911?page=64&post_creation=true#post_5344484

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  • PRides
    PRides Member Posts: 12
    edited January 2019

    Thanks so much for the feedback borogirl. That sounds really logical. Any other words of advice, 21 days post surgery?

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  • PRides
    PRides Member Posts: 12
    edited January 2019

    Good idea. Thanks

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