Iron Bra Syndrome is most likely Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome (PMPS) which is chronic neuropathic pain after a lumpectomy or mastectomy. It is thought to be a result of damaged nerves in the armpit or chest during surgery. Massage and soft tissue mobilization can help with pain control and restore function.
Getting to the Root of the 'Iron Bra'
Most commonly, this is treated with drugs such as opioids, Prologo said, though a non-surgical interventional radiology procedure (where a CAT scan, MRI or ultrasound is used to guide needles into the body) may offer a drug-free way to treat this pain.
After a mastectomy, it is normal for a person to experience tightness in the chest and surrounding areas. This may be due to the shortening of the pectoralis major muscle, inflammation, scar tissue, or the effects of breast reconstruction on muscles. Prescribed exercises can alleviate the tightness over time.
Damage to the intercostobrachial nerve is very common during mastectomy (affecting an estimated 20-50% of patients) and may therefore be the most frequent cause (ref6).
Phantom breast pain can happen straight after surgery or sometimes up to a year later. Because the pain is caused by damage to the nerves at the time of surgery, the most effective types of pain relief are those used to treat nerve pain, such as antidepressants or anti-epileptic drugs.
You may have aches, twinges or sharp pains in the breast or chest area. These are usually mild. They may continue for months or years, but they usually become milder and less frequent over time. You may also have stiffness and discomfort around the shoulder and breast or chest area during and after treatment.
Your breast implants are causing pain or discomfort
Painful or uncomfortable implants can indicate a number of issues that require a breast implant revision, including capsular contracture, damaged lymph nodes, a developing seroma, pinched nerves or poor implant placement.
Some nerves will be permanently damaged and will be unable to supply feeling again. Over time, as nerves have a chance to regenerate, some feeling can return. When this happens, the condition is known as post mastectomy syndrome.
Conclusions: After a mastectomy, there is a high probability of residual breast tissue.
Zingers are the term used to describe the shooting, burning, sharp, intermittent sensations that women experience after a breast augmentation. This nerve hypersensitivity feels almost like a mini electric shock. Zingers only last a second or two but for women who aren't expecting them it can be quite scary.
Blood Pressure: Many organizations, like the American Cancer Society and the National Lymphedema Network, advise survivors to avoid blood pressure on the surgery side, if possible. However, there is not good research to support this recommendation and several studies have found it has no effect on arm swelling.
Because of the overall healing response of multiple surgical sites, swelling is normal and expected of the breasts and the abdomen after surgery. Swelling can take 4-8 weeks to completely resolve. Compression garments such as a compression bra, shape wear or an abdominal binder can help reduce swelling.
The post mastectomy pain of Iron bra syndrome is a feeling of extreme tightness across the across the ribs and chest. It is often described as feeling like an incredibly tight underwire bra pushing in on the ribs - thus the colloquial Iron Bra name.
Avoid strenuous activity, heavy lifting and vigorous exercise until the stitches are removed. Tell your caregiver what you do and he or she will help you make a personal plan for "what you can do when" after surgery. Walking is a normal activity that can be restarted right away.
Right after the surgery, you will probably feel weak, and you may feel sore for 2 to 3 days. You may feel pulling or stretching near or under your arm. You may also have itching, tingling, and throbbing in the area. This will get better in a few days.
Healing takes time.
Having body parts removed takes a long time to heal. Some parts of my chest still feel swollen, I had a seroma drained last month and feel like another one is forming in the same spot and there are days when I still get very, very tired. This is not a surgery with a quick recovery time.
In women who are BRCA1 or BRCA2 positive, studies have shown around a 90 percent decreased risk of developing breast cancer in the future. For women who undergo mastectomy after diagnosis, 97 percent were alive at five years and 92 percent were free of disease after five years.
Most people who have a mastectomy recover well after the procedure and don't develop complications. In most cases, it takes 3 to 6 weeks to fully recover.
You will have some pain after breast surgery (lumpectomy, mastectomy or breast reconstruction). For most people, this pain is temporary and goes away after you heal from the surgery. About 20 percent of people have pain that lasts longer [252].
Seroma (fluid build up)
A seroma is swelling caused by fluid building up in or around your incision area (in the breast or armpit). This is normal and may feel like a lump a few days after surgery. The lump can grow to feel like a golf ball or egg. In most cases, the fluid will absorb over time.
Seroma after breast surgery is defined as a serous fluid collection that develops under the skin flaps or in the axillary dead space following mastectomy and/or axillary dissection.
Many patients report discomfort right after waking up. This likely results from muscle stiffness and the implants pushing outward as you sleep. Generally, this pain and discomfort subsides quickly. In order to reduce this feeling, wear your surgical support bra at night and very gently massage the implants.
They can rupture or leak, and saline implants may deflate. Capsular contracture may also occur, which is shrinkage of natural scar tissue that your body produces around any implanted medical device. This may result in firm or hard breasts or a deformity which you can feel or see.
On average, today's implants are designed to last more than a decade, with the chance of rupture increasing by one percent each year. So, the older your implants are, the greater your risk of rupture or other complications. In many cases, breast implants can remain in good shape for 20 years or more.