Continued Post-op Pain

• By orlando77guy
• Posted October 12, 2009 at 11:00 am
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Hey Lisa!

I used to live in the Orlando area, I proably won't be much help as I am only 11 days post op, but having had other surgeries in the past on my knees I found that it does not go away, you just get used to it. I had tibular tendon transfers on both knees while in highschool and college due to sports injury and am still numb 12 years later at the surgical site, it does get easy to forget and easier to touch... Hope that helps some, by the way where did you have your surgery done? I ended up at Moffitt in Tampa, but thought about going to ORMC.
Christopher

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• By teacherN
• Posted October 12, 2009 at 11:04 am
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I am 5 months post VATS and still have some aches, wheezes, numbness. My trachea aches some, my shoulder is stiff, and some aches in my back at the surgery site. If the numbness is still there at a year, it means that the nerve won't change, I think. But Christopher is right: you just get used to it. I did have a lot of success with a lidocaine patch for the severe nerve pain.
Kudos for working out and getting well!
Hugs,
Nancy

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• By lisarn710
• Posted October 12, 2009 at 11:30 am
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Christopher - I actually had my surgery at Florida Hospital. There is a CT surgeon who specializes in thoracic cancer surgery using VATS. He was fantastic and I had an uneventful post op course. I was back to work within 2 weeks. I had mucoepidermoid carcinoma stage IB, so there is no treatment other than surgery. But I'm being followed by an oncologist at FL Hospital as well.

Nancy - it's not to the point where I need treatment. The nerve is annoying as it's along the bra line and gets irritated easy. However, it's not painful.

Thanks for the info...it's not bothersome, just making sure others were experiencing the same thing.

Lisa

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• By Marylou1
• Posted October 12, 2009 at 5:46 pm
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Hi Lisa,
Your second post tells me you have exactly what I have been experiencing since surgery.

Mine was open surgery not VATS, but the soreness along the bra line under my right breast is sore to the touch all the time.

It has been 2 years and 3 months since surgery, and I doubt it will ever go away. I did speak to the surgeon about it and he said sometimes we get little fractures in that area that are never the same again. It does not stop me from doing what I want, and I suppose I should consider myself blessed that is all I have to complain about. I think you're fine Gal.

Love to all,
Marylou

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• By karilynn
• Posted October 12, 2009 at 6:08 pm
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My mother had surgery in 10/08 and still has pain. She hates taking pain meds, so she asked her pain specialist abt other alternatives. Her doc rx'd Lyrica and she later switched to Neurontin. She feels a lot better now. Good luck.

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• By lisarn710
• Posted October 12, 2009 at 6:13 pm
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Thanks, Marylou! That makes me feel lots better. It doesn't stop me from doing anything...even did my first triathlon 6 months post op. I was just afraid I was doing too much or that I needed to get it checked out.

Lisa

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• By orlando77guy
• Posted October 12, 2009 at 6:19 pm
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Lisa, that's good to know. I had the hardest time here in south Florida finding a surgeon and after a PET scan scare ended up at moffitt. I think it's heat you were able to go back to work that soon. I had the robotic surgery and still have a lot of pain and tightnes and would be unable to go back anytime soon. I think the ladies would know better about the bra pain. Glad I won't have that issue. Great to meet you here and I wish you all the best!

Christopher

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• By sharpie
• Posted October 12, 2009 at 7:00 pm
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Lisa,

I am almost 6 months post op for VATS lower right lung lobectomy and have only been off Dilauded for ONE week. Suddenly, it seems I am feeling better, not pain free but not feeling "impaled" either. At my insistence I have been examined by doctors at the pain clinic, in physical medicine, my PCP and my onc. I could not have imagined this thing hurting so much for so long after VATS. I asked the onc if the surgeon left a sponge or something could have been left inside me and he said "no, your post op scans would light up like a Christmas tree if any surgical stuff had been left inside" (I know of two people who had other -- not lung-- surgeries and had surgical sponges left behind)! I am all set for six treatments of accupuncture. Bottom line: they said I had nerves damaged in surgery and six weeks to 6 months of pain is expected. Sounds like you're well on your way!

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• By Chum
• Posted October 13, 2009 at 7:56 am
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I had VATS almost five years ago. I never had pain - at least I never felt I had it - just numbness. But it all goes away. I once cut my thumb almost to the bone (dumb - wasw packing to move and using a sharp knife to shape foam for packing). Sliced through a nerve. Couldn't feel anything with that thumb for almost six-months - then the nerve finally grew back. I figure the same things happens other places. Give it time - the nerves will grow back, I'll bet.

Great to hear you are doing BIG athletic events. Sounds like just the right thing to do. It took me (a more "mature" individual than your young self) six-months before I got back to tennis.

Courage

Chum

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• By UneasyRider
• Posted October 13, 2009 at 7:51 pm
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Lisa,

Stay with the exercise. I think that helps more than anything else. I had open surgery, an upper left lobectomy, 22 months ago. I am a long distance cyclist, and was back to short bike rides 16 days after surgery. That helped, but when I was able to resume my core muscle exercises after 6 weeks, that seemed to help more.

I rode over 6,700 miles on my bike last year, in spite of recovering from the surgery and three rounds of chemo, and am pretty much pain free now, with just a small numb, funny feeling spot on my chest.

All that said, some people do experience long term pain from lung surgery, even VATS. Good luck!

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