Tearing/Ripping pair around the collar bone?

Since my surgery I have have what feels like a tearing or ripping pain around the point of my collar bone near my throat. It is much worse with certain movements. At first I figured it was just normal postop adhesions but now that I am 16 days post surgery and the pain if anything is getting worse I was wondering if anyone else has had this. The best way to describe the pain is that it feels like someone has hooked a fish hook into my skin and is pulling HARD on it. Pain was bad enough last night that I could not sleep. Going to see the cardio nurse today but she feels that this is nothing. Pain is about 3-4 inches from the incision site and the incision itself seems to be healing properly.

5 Comments

Will let you all know what the doc says

by COBradyBunch - 2009-07-08 03:07:37

I scheduled an appointment for today and don't plan on taking no for an answer. My first question for the nurse/docs is 'Is there some PT that I can safely do two weeks into my recovery that could help with the problem if it is related to adhesions or scar tissue? Short of that I do agree that this could be leads or internal suture related and something is definitely inflaming a nerve and it is only getting worse so I want to know what I/we/they can do to resolve the pain short and long term.

Gotta go back again tomorrow

by COBradyBunch - 2009-07-08 07:07:30

Only got to see a Nurse Prac today and she has no explanation for my pain. She tried to tell me I had pulled a muscle (I know what a pulled muscle feels like, it doesn't involve the skin pain I am also feeling nor does it get worse over time and rest instead of better). She mainly was concerned about incision infection which since I am not running a fever, have no drainage or redness around the she agrees that this is very unlikely. I have done more research and it appears the location of my pain is very close to where the vascular incision would have been made and where the leads would have been placed in the vein but I can't say that this is or is not a potential reason. All I know is it still hurts, feels like a bad tape job (like the skin is being pulled) and when I make certain movements like a fish hook is in my skin and someone is tugging at the line. I am also getting some tenderness which is new about 2 inches from the point of the collarbone out towards the shoulder and on the top, inside of the collarbone. Interesting puzzle so far. Will keep anyone interested updated.

Spreading...

by COBradyBunch - 2009-07-09 03:07:38

Was in yesterday and they asked to see me again today. Pain/tightness/pulling is spreading, moving up the left side of my neck and now my entire upper left side of my upper chest chest, almost over tto the shoulder feels tight and. Pain has also moved down over the incision area and actually over the PM bump itself. Hopefully today I will get a better answer than what I have gotten so far.

Ultra Sound found nothing

by COBradyBunch - 2009-07-15 08:07:14

For the ongoing pain they did give me an Ultrasound which came up clear. I am on some heavy duty anti-inflams that seem to be helping somewhat but still have the pain my neck and around my collar bone. Two more days of pills and then we will see where I am at. have my one month post op next week with the doc and if still having pain then we will see what our next step is. I am thinking some PT since the pain feels like muscle tearing, adhesion tearing on movement but there is also the dull ache that I have by the end of the day.

FYI.... the anti-inflams worked

by COBradyBunch - 2009-07-29 06:07:02

took 4-5 days but they finally did do the trick. Just wanted to close the loop for future readers.

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