Do Breast Reconstruction Tissue Expanders Cause Pain As They Expand?

I dont know why doctors cant be honest and use the word PAIN instead of discomfort. I had 5 unmedicated natural deliveries, hysterectomy, 4 prior breast biopsies, and reduction of two ankle dislocations with compound fractures and NEVER, EVER used or needed the pain meds I needed for this miserable process. I realize that everyones expeiences are different, but in many cases I suspect it is in large part due to the surgeon and the technique and skill they use. The pain can be related to either the surgical tecnique used at the time of tissue expander placement or due to the streching of the (pectoralis) muscle as the expander is filled. I awoke from my double mastectomy with no pain in the front of my chest, but unrelenting muscle spasms in my pectoralis muscle that then radiated accross my back and up into my neck. Despite narcotic pain relievers and around the clock muscle relaxants they became more severe each day. My post mastectomy hospital discharge pain level was a 5/10, by the time I went for my first fill it was 9/10. I did not tolerate the 50 cc initial fill as pain was then 10/10 continuouly. I refused a fill 2 weeks later when the pain was still unresolved. My surgeon insisted we push forward but I could not tolerate even the additional 30 cc in the office. Despite her constant promises of it will be better; it never was. My left expander never made it past 240 cc and the right 210cc after leaving the OR with a 150cc pre-fill. When I threatened suicide if something wasnt done I was admitted for IV pain meds and muscle relaxants and even these provided almost no relief. My surgeon suggested an immediate swap out with a "small implant" which she also swore would be better tolerated. Problem is she put in 375 cc implants and my pain remained 10/10 and muscle spams were unrelenting. This left me with almost an A cup profile (I was a 40 D), and she felt that was just great and I should be happy about it. 4 weeks later the skin incision broke down and became infected on my left side so that implant had to be removed and ...viola...no more pain and spasms on that side but I have a huge ugly distorted crater. I am still miserable on the right side with an implant that has now migrated well into my axilla (armpit) because of the continuous spasms and I am actively looking for another surgeon to remove that one as well. This has been 6 months of hell, but on the plus side the expanders made dealing with the cancer look easy.

i had a tisssue expander put in back in 2010 it was fine no problems at every 2 weeks i had it filled up! you dont notice or feel much as its still pretty numb. i went from having no cut because i had my breast removed to going up to a G. the only problem i found is that the breast that had the expander in was so hard and i always had to wear sports bras to hid the fact i had uneven breasts

What on earth are all these doctors saying about the tissue expansion process being "painless", "uncomfortable but not painful", and "relieved by Tylenol?". Have any of THEM ever had a double mastectomy, followed by an expansion process with rigid tissue expanders? I'm sorry, but I didn't just feel "fullness" or "mild discomfort". I felt PAIN! And I'm not a wuss...6 years ago, I had my first bout with breast cancer: a lumpectomy, 13 rounds of chemo, 33 rounds of radiation, and 3 reconstruction surgeries. I've also had a complete hysterectomy and several other abdominal surgeries. But tissue expansion IS painful, and I believe patients deserve the option of prescription pain medicine and muscle relaxers - even if only 3-5 days worth are necessary. All this talk about "no pain if it's done correctly" doesn't help the actual patient who's about to experience the expansion. Some "discomfort" relieving medicine would be of greater assistance - at least in the short run.