Implants

[marianne88]

Does anyone have rib pain from the implants after surgery. It’s been a long time for me but I’m noticing rib pain under one of the implants and starting to think I have had progression. Thanks

[Hidden]

Hi Marianne88 -

I've had intermittent pain just under the implant that is on the side that had actual cancer (I had bi-lateral mastectomy and reconstruction). For me it's a sharp pain affected by how I move, e.g. if I bend down to say put on socks, I'll feel it, strongly. Then it hurts like hell until I rub it out and wait a few minutes.

I initially though it was progression in a rib, but scans showed that it was not. I've not concluded that it's probably like a clip (?) that holds the implant in place. I mentioned this to a doc and the response was somewhere between a nod and a shrug. I now ignore it...

By the way, when I write "intermittent" I do mean that, like sometimes the same movement will produce the pain/not produce it. I'm not sure what the difference is, but I view it (based on nothing) as some sort of inflammation...I phoned my lovely (and cute! ) plastic surgeon at one point to ask if this was a problem, maybe a degradation of the implant, and was told that real issues with implants show up on scans, so I stopped worrying...

Hopefully this helps ease your mind, if your experience is similar, but of course mention to your doc...

Take care,

Lynn

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

** I've NOW concluded, not NOT concluded**

[marianne88 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much Lynn. It does help ease my mind 💕

[Dancing in reply to Hidden]

Hi hidden,

I had a lumpectomy in 2016 followed by radiation.. I started getting excruciating pain in my left breast as you Hzve explained the way you move or the way I reach fir something even it bending …It last a few seconds but it scares me since it it in my left side

it started 2019 n I tokd my cancer team n no one seemed to be concerned … I still get it but my oncologist put me on Gabapentin n it helps I take it at 4 pm everyday.

you are the first person that wrote about this pain I thought too it was the clip N maybe over radiated damage to my ribs

[Selmac]

Marianne, I had a double mastectomy and after an infection so bad with one tissue expander, I spent a week in the hospital. They had to take the tissue expander out and then a week later scrape more infection out. You could literally see my ribs. Since there was nothing there to get a new expander, I had the flap surgery where they move a muscle from your back around your side to help hold an implant. I get mild pain to bad pain in back and ribs. Everytime it happens I think I've had progression because my cancer is in ribs and spine. Oncologist told me this will always be there because of nerves and such from the mastectomies. Sometimes, it hurts and feels like muscle spasms. I don't know if my Oncologist is right but I'm experiencing it and have had no progression for over 2 years, thank God.

[marianne88 in reply to Selmac]

Thank you so much 💕

[Bubbles001]

I had rib pain and it turned out I had a cracked rib. Not sure how that happened, but there it was, and not related to progression.

[Barbteeth]

Hi there

One of my implants leaked ( many years ago) and I felt a bit of discomfort...had it replaced but think it’s leaking again...would just rather leave it as don’t want surgery

Barb xx

[Nmartinez15]

Not really..... I have rib pain bc my previous plastic surgeon did terrible job. He put my implants too low and one side was sitting on my rib and cause so much pain. Also scar tissue develop in that area is very painful and last the capsular. I just have surgery past week bc my under arm and breast was getting swollen. They thought was cancer but it was not. When they open it to remove the scar tissue...

. They saw the capsular was very hard so they remove it half of the capsular around the implants. And the surgery was painful!!! When they removed capsular your breast hurt and it will get swollen, but she said I should feel better after I recovery from surgery.

[alana303]

Hello!

I also had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. After the expanders were removed and the implants put in I had horrible pain in my rib right below the implant for about 6 months. The plastics nurse told me that when the surgeon put in the "capsule" for the implant to sit in, it is common to go too deep with a stitch into the periosteum on the rib. This causes a lot of pain and takes a long time to scar up and heal. Maybe one of your stitches has broken away from the rib?

Just a thought. I hope you feel better and hope it isn't progression!

Alana