Breathing problems Pain/left ribcage?

08-19-2005, 12:16 PM

Anyone else have pain or problems taking a full breath after surgery. I almost felt like I have a bruised lung or something. Is this normal? I asked my Doc when he took the stitches out but he really didn't have much to tell me.... pouts

shirley rohr · 08-19-2005, 12:20 PM

I still do that once in a while. I was told so many things change after this surgery. It does come and go. I think they move all that stuff aroudn in there and that is what happens.

I'llsucceed · 08-19-2005, 12:20 PM

I was givin a breathing little machine from the hospital. I was told to use it every hour for the entire week I was released. It helps to remove the gases from your body. It was very important to do this to avoid anemonia(spelling?) my breathing got better with each day.
Did you recieve this?? It helps to take deep breaths & hold them for a few seconds & release. Continue this has you progress to deeper breaths & holding them longer. Do 10 times once an hour. Hopefull this will help.

08-19-2005, 12:25 PM

Thanks for the quick replies... I didn't get breathing treatments after surgery. It would have helped a lot I think.

leatha_g · 08-19-2005, 12:56 PM

Not breathing treatments, breathing exercises, done with a spirometer - to exercise the lungs to keep from getting pneumonia. You need to do deep breathing exercises at the very least. Also, your diaphragm has been agitated, even bruised and abused, so it very common to have some chest pain for the first couple of weeks after surgery, especially upon taking deep breaths, coughing, hiccuping, burping, etc. All these will cause the diaphragm to react. This too shall pass.. :)

nickie456 · 08-19-2005, 10:36 PM

thanks Sweetest Soul for asking this question?

Thank you Leatha, I was scared something was wrong. My surgery was eleven days ago
how much longer do you think the chest will hurt when breathing in?

Parvathi · 08-20-2005, 12:21 AM

After surgery, I was told to breath deeply, about 15 times, twice an hour (every 30 minutes). I'm a smoker, so it hurt a lot during the first few days, but after say 3 days or so, the breathing exercises really did start to make a difference.

loopylou · 08-20-2005, 06:21 AM

ummmm.... Now please dont get frightened but I think I better tell a little about what happened to me.

When I came out of surgery I too had trouble taking a deep breath, basically because it would hurt where the surgeon had dug around - ie. the port area, slightly under my ribs and my diaphragm. I used my spirometer and that really helped me get used to taking big breaths - it still hurt a bit - like a stretching feeling. All of this was completely NORMAL!

However, on the Wednesday night (I had surgery on the Monday) I quite suddenly got short of breath. I thought it was just a little asthma so I used some ventolin spray and waited a while - but it didn't seem to work. I was still short of breath a few hours later, and I knew something wasn't right. DH called the hospital and the sugeon wanted to see me first thing in the morning - the nurse thought I may have pneumonia. But, when I came in, my doc did a chest X-ray and Barium swallow - and pneumonia and band slips/problems were ruled out. But because I couldn't take a deep enough breath the X-rays couldn't rule out a pulmonary embolism (or PE - blood clot in the lungs) so he sent me to another hospital for a lung scan. The lung scan revealed that I probably (not 100%) had several small PEs.

Therefore I was readmitted to hospital for one week, during this time I had lots of medication, injections and blood tests to make sure my blood was thin enough. Now, 20 days post-op, I am still on anti-coagulant drugs and will be for the next 2-5mths. My surgeon will not give me a fill until I am off the medication because that could cause bad complications with my port.

BUT, my point is this, if you are short of breath, not 'its painful to breathe deeply', but 'I am unable to take a full breathe' then please contact your surgeon! PE's can be life threatening!!! Remember that PE's are only dangerous if you dont know you have one! (Also look out for localized swelling in the legs which could indicate a blood clot - also very dangerous as they can move to your lungs).

Please note though that this is not a 'band' complication but a general surgery complication. And my surgeon was not shonky or anything - he gave me blood-thinning medication before surgery and had electrode thingies on my legs during the surgery - it was just 'one of those things'. I was his first patient to have this problem and he has done over 1000 bandings. So it is rare - but it does happen.

Please err on the safe side. Its ok if it hurts to breathe, but if you physically cant take a deep breath, please call and talk to your doctor.

debbie527 · 08-20-2005, 08:55 AM

I know for me they did not give an incentive spirometer either and It wasn't until fri and I had my surgery Mon that I realized I cuoldn't take a deep breath and I did and alomost hacked up a lung. My Doc checked me and luckly I think I cleared it before pneunmonia settled but on post op day 13 I still get pain upon taking a deep breath especailly I have been busy and I get tired.. My doc said it could take up to a month to lose all the aches and pains.
Great point looplou about PE. It doesn't hurt as much as you just can't do it..

Jessiebear · 08-20-2005, 02:18 PM

I'm with Loopy Lou here. If you feel short of breath (not just pain or soreness when deep breathing) and/or you feel panicky, get to the ER! Pulmonary embolisms are nothing to play with! If it is just soreness when deep breathing, cough & deep breathe a few times every hour holding a pillow firmly across your abdomen & the soreness should subside soon. It amazes me how the nurses don't pass out the incentive spirometers after someone has had surgery. They are very important! I still didn't get one after asking twice! & I'm a nurse! LOL!!! I had the soreness too for a couple of days after surgery & the coughing & deep breathing worked for me.

Jessiebear · 08-24-2005, 07:07 PM

Hey Sweetest_soul! Give us an update! How are you feeling?