Intercostal pain from VATS surgery help

[Glouie1]

3 yrs ago, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. It turned out to be a blood clot had cut off blood supply to part of my lung which developed a severe infection. I had VATS surgery. To remove part of my lung. After the VATS, I have a super sensitive intercostal area. Quite painful to the touch and feels like I have tight band around me and quite often get something like a cramp that is very painful and restrictive.

Has anyone else experienced this? What have you done about it?

I realize I was lucky enough to not have cancer so I should be grateful and I truly am.

My surgeon says “it’s nothing I did” when I said I wondered if it could have affected a nerve as I had severe nerve pain for weeks and weeks after surgery .He Also said “ he has never heard of any of his patients having thes symptoms and yet, I can Google my symptoms and find that it seems to be fairly common. I was hoping it would go away after a while but it hasn’t. A pain management specialist said he can give me a shot to freeze the area but I’m not sure I wan to try irritating those nerves again.

Has anyone tried this? Does it work?

Thanks in advance

Glouie

[cmilashoski]

I am six years later in my recovery from lung cancer and I still have pain I have a lot in the area where the scar is and also my right rib area it's really nothing I can do about it I'm just glad to be alive I do take pain medicine for it yeah once they go in I'm pretty sure they have to move a lot of things around so you're never going to feel the same can't believe that they went and took that out and you didn't even have cancer you would think there would be another way what's done is done hopefully you won't have pain like I do 6 years later I'm just glad to be vertical and alive

[Glouie1 in reply to cmilashoski]

The CT, Pet Scan, X-rays all indicated cancer.

[Denzie Moderator Volunteer]

My ntercostal nerve was damaged when they placed a drain for a pleural effusion. That was 10 years ago. My doctor gave me gabapentin for the nerve pain and it worked but made me sleepy. We did a step down of the dosage from 2700 mg/day to 100 mg/day. It was enough to help make things manageable. Eventually I tapered of that as well.

Today I still have discomfort but it is much reduced. Still there are days I feel like I’m wearing a bra 3 sizes too small or someone has my ribs in a vise grip. I no longer wear underwire bras. If you are a woman and need a bra I recommend a sports type bra. Fruit of the Loom makes one that comes in sizes that will accommodate large breasts. It has a wide cotton band at the bottom and closes with 9 hook and eyes in the front. PM me if you want a link.

[Glouie1]

Thank you. Yes, tried gabapenten. The severe nerve pain I had is gone but I still have a lot of pain around the scar and that vice grip feeling around my ribs. That catching or cramping is very painful, too. I did change bras. I couldn’t wear one at all for about a year.

[JanetteR57]

I had an open lobectomy (thoracotomy)to remove a 7cm lung tumour in Dec 2010 and still occasionally have a stabbing pain when I bend down in a certain way but it's a small price to pay. I'm just recovering from a chest infection and had exactly the pain you mention - of feeling restricted under my boobs so it may not be the surgery, it could be something else causing the pain. I've been hospitalised several times since 2015 with pneumonia and other chest infections (pseudomonas, RSV) and each time had almost cramp in the left side of intercostal muscles when coughing or in a certain position on a hospital bed. I've asked the medics about it a couple of times during such incidents and been told 'it's probably muscular skeletal issues). I still feel grateful for every day. I was an active distance swimmer before my surgery and since and feel that stretching out the ribcage/torso helps reduce nerve or muscle pain - I was told yoga and pilates were also good for stretching/exercises that would help focus on breathing to recover from the surgery and cancer. I was assigned a respiratory physiotherapist in 2019 who looked at the way I was breathing after tests proved I had dysfunctional breathing and was using the upper chest, neck and intercostal muscles instead of diaphragmatic breathing. She suggested it was the surgery that caused this until I told her I'd recovered well from the initial surgery but more recent infections and bronchoscopies seem to have worsened my general health. She prescribed breathing exercises and when appointments moved online due to the pandemic suggested I sign up to 'yoga with Adrienne' to stretch out the body. Maybe these would help for you too.... I know when I sit around, hunched up, it can be harder to breathe especially when I have an infection so keeping active is important. good luck.

[Hidden]

Hi GlouieI developed pain around jaw can only open part way know shouldn't Google but found some exercises on line and they have helped.

Best wishes in your search.

[iamjdf2]

I also lost blood flow to my right lung but it was a surgical mistake. The surgeon stapled the pulmonary artery while removing my right upper lobe due to lung cancer. I developed a fungal infection and like you couldn't get it healed because no blood flow. Another surgeon had to remove the rest of my right lung. I still have pain after 20 months and expect to always have some kind of pain in the area of the scar. The surgeon had to do the surgery by opening me up more than he wanted to. Good luck to you!

[hopejunkie]

Hi! I’m sorry to hear about your pain. My 78 y.o father had an open thoracotomy to remove a 7 cm tumor mealy 8 months ago. We just met with the oncologist yesterday and he said that’s to be expected even with the best surgeons. Pain is likely due to scar tissue and Witt time, perhaps the scar tissue will “melt away.” We too are grateful that he’s alive and well. Sending you thoughts of wellness and peace.🌺🤞💕