Silicone Implant a year on

Ask our Nurses your questions
1

Hello

I’m a year in from all of my surgery but I still feel a bit achey on the armpit side of my implant. It’s a silicone implant with a accelular dermal matrix flap. The area is a bit firm and when I asked the surgeon if this hardness was fibrosis he explained that it was the flap holding my implant. He assures me that it will soften but just wondered if the twinges and aching are normal - especially now it’s colder outside, my tensing up seems to aggravate it more. Sadly I forgot to ask him at the time of our appointment if this too was normal

Irene x

2

Hi Irene

Thank you for your email.

It’s understandable you’re wanting to know if twinges and aching in your chest area are normal.

Immediately after surgery for breast cancer and in the weeks that follow, it’s common to feel some pain and discomfort . As healing takes place, these effects usually subside. For most people this happens within a few months. However, for some, they can persist, and we know this can affect quality of life.

Ongoing (chronic) or persistent pain or discomfort may be caused by different things including, scar formation, skin tightness and damage to the nerves, particularly those in the axilla (underarm). There are different ways of managing this pain and discomfort.

We would encourage you to talk to your breast care nurse or GP about any ongoing concerns you have concerning the twinges and aching you are experiencing. They can assess you fully and provide further information and support about what might help. Some people benefit from specialist advice so your doctor may refer you to an NHS pain clinic. And some hospitals run pain management programmes.

We offer a range of free supportive services which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events.

In particular, Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can often be helpful. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can be in touch with your volunteer by phone or email and they can share their personal experiences to answer your questions, offer support or simply listen to how you are feeling.

You can ring the Someone Like Me team on 0800 138 6551 or email them at someone.likeme@breastcancernow.org, so they can then match you to your volunteer.

Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to additional support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks.

The number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties prefix our number with 18001 and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.

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Best wishes

Val

Breast Care Nurse

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