I am sorry for asking what is probably a silly question here but am wondering, is it normal to have the feeling that one’s throat and neck are badly bruised after minor breast surgery. I was told my throat might be a bit sore, but this feels more like a tight, bruised feeling and it hurts when I swallow. The pain has ramped up this morning since the morphine wore off yesterday. As for the breast surgery site where there was a wire locator fitted, then an incision to remove a papilloma - no pain at all!
I know post op my throat was a bit sore where the tube had been, it did settle after a few days but do check with your team too a quick call and they can advise 
Shi xx
1 Like
Thanks Shi, I will do so if it doesn’t settle by tomorrow, good idea. I was expecting a sore throat but the bruising makes me wonder if I put up a struggle with the intubation tube!
Hi
I had the same reaction, it was caused by the tube feeding the nitrous oxide into my lungs to keep me sedated during the operation, It wore off after a few days. I don’t do well with nitrous oxide so they used a different sedative when I had to have another op to excise margins. I was told there are a lot of different options for sedation. Hope you are feeling better now.
1 Like
Thank you LIzaki, that’s really reassuring to know, although I’m sorry you had it too. I must admit I’ve just eaten my supper and that seems to have helped the pain somewhat, and swallowing felt a bit easier than earlier today. I expect the Oramorph kept the pain away initially and so that’s why it’s suddenly turned up!
It happened to me and I believe the anaesthetic tube was too wide. Plus I threw up a lot of blood afterwards so that confirmed what I thought. I asked them to use a smaller tube for my next op and all was fine!
1 Like
The type of breathing tube and anaesthetic you have depend on the operation and your physiology and general health. Having an airway tube in situ plus having your head / neck put into an odd position to have the tube inserted can make your throat sore for a few days. The way you describe it is exactly how many people have experienced it including myself.The fact that it’s feeling better with eating suggests to me that it’s going to settle down as the act of eating moves everything - a bit like gentle stretching to ease a mild injury , and will help. Also drink plenty of fluids because your throat gets very dry during the surgery . You may not be experiencing any pain in your breast but there’s no harm in taking some Paracetamol for your throat instead if you haven’t already.
Joanne. X
1 Like
My throat was black after my op …… very badly bruised. It was not sore at all after my second op.
1 Like
My throat was sore and so dry for 2 days after my surgery…i couldn’t get a good night’s sleep because of it and I’ve never drunk so much water! Then it just wore off and felt normal again…
1 Like
Thank you oldgirl, that is interesting. I will bear that in mind for any subsequent surgery. I might raise it with my consultant to see if they had trouble fitting mine.
Yes, I think my head was in an odd position too because I can feel one side of my neck is really tender, to the left of the windpipe. It is good to know that it isn’t just me as Dr Google tends to dwell more on the sore throat aspect, whereas this is definitely a bruised feeling, inside the throat and on the outside of it.
@Dolly_dreams - that sounds horrible, you poor thing. I am glad it didn’t happen second time around. So far I have no visible bruises!
@Triah. I am glad it wore off after a couple of days. So far to day things do seem a bit easier. However, I’m still not sleeping right - I think the anaesthetic has altered my body clock!
Hello amaris34
Thank you for your message. There is no such thing as a silly question.
As @Shi, @ Lizaki, @oldgirl, @JoanneN, @Dolly_dreams and @Triah all say when you have a general anaesthetic, a soft tube will be placed in your throat to help you breathe. This can cause a slightly sore throat. Some bruising to the neck can also happen at this time.
If the pain continuous, you may want to try some pain relief. However, the pain should get better over the next few days.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen to your concerns, talk things through and signpost you to more support and information. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks. The number is 0808 800 6000, (Relay UK - prefix 18001).
If you would prefer one of our nurses to call you. To do this, please complete this form ticking the box agreeing to a call back.
Our usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm and 9am - 1pm on Saturday.
Out of hours you can leave a message and we will call you back when we next open.
Best wishes
Grete
Breast Care Nurse
Please read the Ask Our Nurses disclaimer Full details on how we collect and use your data can be found in our Privacy Policy
This thread will now be closed from further replies. If you have any additional questions or would like to provide feedback, please start a new thread.