Pre-surgery questions / Skin allergy to plaster / dressing adhesive.

Going through breast cancer treatment Surgery
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Dear BCN community

A warm thank you to everyone in the community. I’m new to BC and also to the forum, but have found the personal experiences & information shared here so helpful.

I was diagnosed with Grade 2 IDC, no sign of lymph node involvement in ultrasound, ER+, PR+ and HER2 negative last month. An MRI was done due to dense breast tissue, now awaiting the biopsy result of a 2mm dot that was observed in the MRI. The SLNB and wire-guided WLE that was originally scheduled to happen this week was rescheduled to allow time for the latest result. My surgeon explained that if it turns out to be positive that will mean two WLE’s. I now have some unrelated questions.

  1. Do you normally get a copy of your biopsy pathology result before surgery? Or is this best left until post-op pathology results are in?
  2. Has anyone been through anything similar in terms of two lumpectomies on the same side? While I await the second result, I was wondering whether it’s usual practice for the surgeon to make the decision about the type of procedure (lumpectomy vs. mastectomy) in such cases? When I briefly asked about the decision between 2 lumpectomies vs mastectomy, the surgeon mentioned that where possible they would always go with breast conserving surgery, which I do get but still wonder if I should be asking any other questions? I’m trying my best to reduce the number of questions I ask as my natural tendency is to want to understand the reason/background rather than just being told this is how it is. But have found that getting the how/why answers to questions is not as easy as I thought it would be, partially because this is all so new to me and I expect that they must be trying to limit what they share for some logical reason that I haven’t quite figured out yet. On reflection I am thinking it may be their way of trying to reduce information overload, trying to share information in a staggered manner, or that they probably don’t have the answers themselves, even though I’m looking to understand the broader picture, a professional/personality trait.
  3. I have sensitive skin & have also had allergic reactions to the adhesive in plasters, which has then taken many weeks to heal. So I’m trying to figure out how I can avoid this happening post-op. My most recent allergy was to the adhesive in the dressing that was used to cover my biopsy site (only kept on for 24 hours). I keep repeating this allergy when asked about allergies but don’t feel it’s necessarily high up on the priority list when it comes to types of allergies/problems. Perhaps irrationally, at the moment I’m more worried about the adhesive in the dressings that will be applied & kept on for many days post-op, than the actual op itself. When I asked my BC nurse about this, she said that would be a question for the surgery team nurses. But wouldn’t it be too late to just mention it on the day of my op? And on top of that I am now wondering if they use glue instead of stiches post-op and what if I’m allergic to that too! Does anyone know if they use glue or stiches for a lumpectomy? And is there such a thing as hypo-allergenic stitches/glue & dressings that they have in hospitals that I can request? I may be worrying over something trivial but was wondering if anyone had any information or advice that would help.
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Hi TDG

Happy New Year and a warm welcome welcome to you too  Really sorry for the reasons you’re here/on-forum, though.

On the plaster note, I’m not understanding, if you are making it “known” you have an allergy to normal plaster, why the various medics aren’t using Hypo-allergenic plaster for you. You certainly won’t be the only one with an allergy to normal plaster, so would have thought they’d have it in stock to use for those who do? Am very surprised if they don’t, as it’s basically aggravating your skin, therefore complicating and slowing your healing.

I used to use Hypo-allergenic plasters in my work as a Podiatrist - a white woven fabric one (can’t remember name of now)  and a stretchy skin coloured one called Hapla-band, made by Cuxson Gerrard. They came in various widths, 2.5cm and 5 cm, in a 10m roll, so that you could cut it to any size required. If you could get hold of some yourself, you could take it with you for ops and redressings.

I’ve just checked, and good ole Amazon actually sell rolls of  Hapla-Band  in various widths 

Sorry, can’t help you with the sterile dressings. Am presuming they’re impregnated with some form of antiseptic that you’re reacting to. Can often be an iodine based one, which certain people also can react to.

Ref your “questioning” nature, I’m the same, TDG. You are naturally wishing to know what the surgery options are, so you that you can make an “informed” decision if you are given a choice in your surgery. Some people are happy not to question, and just leave it to the surgeon to do what “he” feels is best. And Yes, I’m guessing the surgeon is waiting on the final biopsy results, before presenting you with and discussing your options.

I haven’t yet come across anyone having glue used with lumpectomies, instead of stitches. Are you saying that you have?? If so, perhaps you could ask your BCN and if so, express your allergic concerns.

Hope ALL goes well for you, lovey, and wishing you speedy healing and recovery.

Lots of love,  Delly  xx 

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Hi TDG

i  too react to some adhesive dressings and am a retired nurse . Each surgeon will have his own preference regarding dressings . By the sound of it you react to the clear skin like dressing that surrounds many surgical dressings and it often used on biopsy sites ? I too became red and itchy at this site . I found myself peeling as much back as possible and then applied sudocresm to irritated site . The nurse that did my dressings 1 week post op advised me to use the sudocresm . Make sure you tell your surgeon pre op . A nurse will also ask you your allergies prior to going down to theatre . The clear dressing is called tegaderm, 

best wishes with your op x

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@TDG  Sending hugs from this corner of the lovely community no-one wants to be part of! I can’t offer any knowledge of your questions, but the breast cancer now nurses are very knowledgeable - number on my screen top right xx

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Hi, 

I can offer a little experience on the plaster issue. I too am allergic to some glues and following my second biopsy the blisters and weeping from the tape were awful.  I had my lumpectomy last Wednesday and I had a red band to show allergy and they took it very seriously.  In fact they chose not to use any dressings (even though I am fine with some) and the surgeon decided to go and find my post op bra in my bag and I woke to find myself wearing that to keep everything in place. I have been glued together rather than stitched and so far have not reacted to that.  I am so glad they listened and I am way more comfortable than following biopsy despite this being a much bigger procedure (round block mamiplasty).  Don’t get me wrong - I am very tender and bruised … but not blistered, sore and itchy .  Keep talking to your team and don’t worry about asking - gaining info is a means of managing anxiety.  Good luck :crossed_fingers:  

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I have exactly the same thing and I have discovered it is quite common to become sensitised to dressings, glue, surgical tape and dissolvable sutures after several surgeries. It’s not life threatening though so I had one itch after another as different plastics used in my diep surgery started to dissolve. One time it was my breast, then it was the tum area which they used to reconstruct my breast, then it was round a circle they put where my nipple used to be.

Although I felt a martyr I took fexofenedine tablets lots of times a day plus piriton ones which helped me sleep. The itching was worst at night so they helped a lot.  All tablets were prescribed by my GP. At first I had thought it was scabies so that delayed effective treatment but it did go eventually.

It’s fantastic that I now have no itching at all and all is well. My surgery was on 8 Sept 2022 (Queen Elizabeth II’s date of death).

I had previously had breast cancer surgery in Nov and Dec 2003 and my notes from then said I was allergic to dermabond and adhesive dressings but I didn’t get these notes until after I had surgery, and hadn’t realised it would be so much worse this time. 

I have now been referred to a local hospital to have patch testing to discover exactly what I am allergic to as I started to react to lotions with paraffin oil in them, such as Vaseline, Aveeno, and virtually every other hypoallergenic creams. I will have 40 patches on my back and they will put various substances on them to discover exactly what I am allergic to.