Too many stories of healing difficulties after breast cancer surgery! Mine is similar: Double mastectomy (with tissues expanders placed) following Oct. 2010 diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer. Second surgery within about 2 weeks due to incisional necrosis. Third surgery to remove tissue expanders due to infection & hemorrhage in Dec. 2010. Chemo Feb.-June 2011; Radiation now complete. After 3rd surgery there was a 'hole' several inches wide and about an inch deep that was allowed to heal by second intention. My non-nurse daughter learned to pack the wound. It healed ever so slowly and finally finished healing about the time chemo ended. Then radiation began and it opened again and is now very close to being closed. If I had it to do over again I would have the mastectomy first, then chemo & radiation, then healing before considering reconstruction.
For the woman with white bumps near incision line, you have to find out if this is infection or if it is granulation tissue. My 'hole' had white crusty areas that I learned to leave alone. If I removed them the skin would bleed. If I left them alone it would heal. But having even a small opening 11 months after the surgery was not expected. I would also seek a wound specialist somewhere in this process. As a nurse I think I tried, as we do, to just keep on rather than seeking needed help. I learned that family and friends are invaluable.
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Too many stories of healing difficulties after breast cancer surgery! Mine is similar: Double mastectomy (with tissues expanders placed) following Oct. 2010 diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer. Second surgery within about 2 weeks due to incisional necrosis. Third surgery to remove tissue expanders due to infection & hemorrhage in Dec. 2010. Chemo Feb.-June 2011; Radiation now complete. After 3rd surgery there was a 'hole' several inches wide and about an inch deep that was allowed to heal by second intention. My non-nurse daughter learned to pack the wound. It healed ever so slowly and finally finished healing about the time chemo ended. Then radiation began and it opened again and is now very close to being closed. If I had it to do over again I would have the mastectomy first, then chemo & radiation, then healing before considering reconstruction.
September 26, 2011 - 6:17amFor the woman with white bumps near incision line, you have to find out if this is infection or if it is granulation tissue. My 'hole' had white crusty areas that I learned to leave alone. If I removed them the skin would bleed. If I left them alone it would heal. But having even a small opening 11 months after the surgery was not expected. I would also seek a wound specialist somewhere in this process. As a nurse I think I tried, as we do, to just keep on rather than seeking needed help. I learned that family and friends are invaluable.
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