Pain

 

Pain is a common complication of surgery such as lumpectomy or mastectomy for women with breast cancer.

  • It is more common in women who receive mastectomy, especially if they also receive radiation.
  • The pain is often on or around the scar tissue, shooting pain that comes and goes within seconds or minutes.
  • Another type of pain is dull pain and tenderness around the scar.
  • Numbness or lack of sensation on the chest wall or the proximal arm of the side of the surgery is common in women who receive mastectomy.

 

One way to reduce the pain and tenderness of the surgery scars caused by lumpectomy or mastectomy is a gentle daily massage on the scar tissues.

  • A daily 10 to 15 minutes massage can be easily performed by yourself and after a few months many patients report some improvement of the pain and sensation around the scar.

 

Pain is also common on surgical scars after a surgery for lung cancer (thoracotomy) or others:

  • Surgery for lung cancer often requires opening a large window on the chest wall, which may damage one or two nerves between the ribs and can cause shooting pain or radiating pain.
  • If this kind of pain persists, you may consider a course of medication therapy such as taking a low dose of Amitriptyline or Neurontin.
  • Other ways of reducing the pain such as acupuncture or massage therapy, may be considered. Some patients have reported some improvement with these methods.

 

If you find unusual redness around the scar of the lumpectomy or mastectomy site,  especially when associated with persistent pain, call your doctor for an exam, as infection may be a concern. Infection around the lumpectomy or mastectomy areas often can take longer to resolve than usual and may require a longer course of antibiotic.

 

For online resouces from Healthy Lifestyle website click "Manage pain with CareTM For Pain"

 

 


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