Feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest- breast reconstruction. Any suggestions? (photos)

Question

I am a little over 7 weeks post op from a mastectomy and reconstruction. It feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest still a lot. My surgeon gave me Valium for muscle spasms but they seem to ease the tension on my chest. The plast surgeon thinks I should be off all meds by now. Im starting physical therapy to help which I'm not exactly sure why I need it but that I think I'm just healing at a slower rate than she hoped for. I wanted to know when the tension in my chest should clear up?

Lewis Albert Andres, MD · Answer

Hello!  Thank you for your question!  Sorry to hear of your issues after your procedure.  In my patients, typically, there should be minimal pain or discomfort during the expansion process following breast reconstruction with tissue expanders.  There is a mild amount of pain following the inital procedure, which should continue to improve over the few days postoperatively.  As the tissue expander is usually placed beneath the pectoralis major muscle, it is slowly filled in the office, stretching the overlying muscle - usually creating more of a "pressure" feeling rather than pain.  Traditionally, the expander was placed completely under several muscles in the chest area, which caused more pain during expansion as it stretching all of these muscles.  Today, with the use of acellular dermal matriceswhich are used as an inferior sling, it has enabled greater initial volume to be placed at the initial surgery and greater volume/less expansions in the office.  The use of the matrices has significantly reduced pain associated with the procedure today, but unsure if you had this placed.  	The discomfort that you experience can be ameliorated with pain medications, muscle relaxants (e.g., Valium), and warm showers.  Also, pain should be an indication to your plastic surgeon to halt expansion that day as your body has likely reached its maximum stretching for that day.  Your feeling may be a result of the placement position of your tissue expander.  The feeling usually gets better as the expansion process goes on, and is usually completely resolved after placement of the implants.  If your pain continues still, at this far out from your procedure, discuss this with your surgeon for options to ameliorate your pain.  I do not see anything obvious in the photos submitted.  Consideration for change in your pain/relaxant medications, stretching exercises, compression bras, warm packs/showers, or even explantation if you are not tolerating reconstruction may be considered.  Hope that this helps!  Best wishes!

Feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest- breast reconstruction. Any suggestions? (photos)

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Feels like an elephant is sitting on my chest- breast reconstruction. Any suggestions? (photos)

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Everything you need to know about Breast Reconstruction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.