Upper side breast pain leads to shoulder and neck 6 months post - Will physio therapy help for damaged pain after removal?

Question

Hi, I had breast augmentation 6 months ago. I was AA and somehow end up having 425 cc silicon Gel implants. I have mild pain on upper side of left breast. It leads to shoulder ache. I have frozen shoulder since the operation. I visited my doctor but he was helpless. I went to another doctor and I was told my nerves got injured and removing silicon may not make me feel better. If removing the silicon won't help my pain, where should I go? Will physio therapy help for damaged pain after removal?

Orna Fisher, MD · Answer

So sorry that you are experiencing these symptoms. While what you are describing is very rare, it is not totally unheard of. Based on this description, it is not completely clear that you sustained “nerve damage”. There may also be other possibilities. 
When we place implants under the muscle, they stretch the muscle, nerves too sometimes. Some patients may not tolerate this very well on one side or another. In some cases it is related to certain movements that you are unaware of or even your sleep positions. In other cases it is temporary damage that takes a relatively long time to heal. It may also be that these implants are not the right dimensions for you. We are not anatomically identical on both sides and it could also be that the implant or its surrounding scar capsule is specifically irritating a nearby structure and causing “referred pain” (pain in a more distant area compared with where the actual spot of irritation is). 
Unfortunately there can’t be a perfect solution when we don’t have a specific diagnosis. We don’t know if this is temporary or permanent and we don’t know if having the implant is keeping it from improving. 
If you came to my office with these exact complaints after having had surgery with someone else 6 months ago, I would tell you that you always have the option of removing your implants. While this may or may not help your symptoms, it is likely to help, particularly if the cause is something like stretching or referred pain.
If you are opposed to having your implants removed right now, you may consider acupuncture, massage therapy, or physical therapy. However, I would not recommend allowing yourself to suffer if these modalities don’t work over several weeks. 
If the implant is potentially the offending agent keeping the symptoms from improving (or keeping an injury from healing), then it makes sense to remove the offending agent.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Chinatsu,
I am sorry to hear about you are experiencing, Chinatsu. Based on what you have described, we can only speculate that the discomfort you are feeling is due to nerve damage associated with your breast augmentation surgery. 
For the best treatment option, we need to determine first the root cause of your discomfort. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment. Only after thorough examination you can get proper recommendations and advice.
Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS
  
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
  
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery 
  
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Upper side breast pain leads to shoulder and neck 6 months post - Will physio therapy help for damaged pain after removal?

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Upper side breast pain leads to shoulder and neck 6 months post - Will physio therapy help for damaged pain after removal?

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Everything you need to know about Breast Implants

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