Should I be worried about Intense ”tugging” pain after my BA?

Hi lssbt,

I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing pain following your surgery. It is not uncommon to experience pain a few weeks after breast augmentation surgery. However, it would be best that you visit your plastic surgeon for proper assessment and intervention to lessen your discomfort, as every surgeon has different approaches in pain management.

Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery

Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery

Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

A tugging or pulling feeling is normal after BA, especially with large implants. This is because the skin is stretched to give space for the implants, thus a pulling sensation can be felt especially at the incision sites where the skin is not yet solidly attached to each other. Pain management should be consulted with your surgeon as each has a different protocol. Usually pain killers are prescribed if the pain is too severe and it hinders daily activities and sleeping patterns. 

While it will not be possible to provide you with a definitive answer to your question here, as that would require a physical examination, one thing I can mention that this could be is a "Mondor's cord," or superficial thrombophlebitis in a vein of the torso or chest wall.  It can occur under the breast or on the side of the chest wall.  Mondor's disease is an uncommon problem first described in the early part of the 1900's and associated with a number of different conditions ranging from breast canceer to pregnancy.  Sometimes when we have put implants in, especially via an incision under the breast, it can interrupt blood flow in some of these veins by either dividing the vein with the incision or by putting enough pressure from the implant on the vein to interrupt the flow.  When that happens, a clot can form, and this can lead to painful inflammation.  Usually it is self-limited and it is not a dangerous thing, but it can be pretty uncomfortable for awhile.  Typically it causes a firm "cord-like" band in the tissues that you can see or feel.  It responds to some anti-inflammatory medication like Motrin and some gentle heat.Again, this is a discussion more for informational purposes, and while Mondor's disease may be what's causing your pain, it may be something entirely different, too.  That is why it is important for you to see your surgeon as soon as you can to get a proper evaluation.  Best of luck.