Post-surgery question

[cold world]

Hey guys, it's been just a day over 2 months since my operation and things are much better but I have a question regarding my right breast.

It's still swollen as it is recovering from a small hematoma which is fine, the doctor said it would go away. However, there is also a huge mark around my breast which is in the shape of the foam padding that was around it under the compression vest for those first 3 weeks. It left an imprint on that side of my chest in the exact shape of the foam.

It's now 2 months later and it looks as if it's a permanent mark...it doesn't hurt or feel like a bruise it just looks like skin got permanently discolored and has the imprint of that foam thing....will this go away??

You can see the outline of that square, that was the exact shape and area that foam was on over a month ago


In this one you can also see a straight line scar in the bottom, will that be permanent too?


Front shot


This is the left breast, which is perfect and doesn't have any of those issues as you can see

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Foam is sometimes used to provide even pressure on the operated area and to prevent bruising.  Any areas not covered by the foam may indeed bruise.  Bruising is free blood under the skin.  And blood contains iron pigment.  When the body removes blood, sometimes the iron pigment remains as a stain on the skin.  That indeed may be what you are looking at.  If that is true, then there really isn't any quick fix -- the body usually removes the iron pigment -- if it can -- over a long period of time.

You may also have a crater on the other side. 

Suggest you speak to your surgeon to verify the pigmentation problem.

Dr Jacobs

[cold world]

Foam is sometimes used to provide even pressure on the operated area and to prevent bruising.  Any areas not covered by the foam may indeed bruise.  Bruising is free blood under the skin.  And blood contains iron pigment.  When the body removes blood, sometimes the iron pigment remains as a stain on the skin.  That indeed may be what you are looking at.  If that is true, then there really isn't any quick fix -- the body usually removes the iron pigment -- if it can -- over a long period of time.

You may also have a crater on the other side. 

Suggest you speak to your surgeon to verify the pigmentation problem.

Dr Jacobs

Thanks for the response!

So are you saying it should eventually leave but it just might take a while?

And yes, I do have a crater on my other side...it curves inwards. I talked to my surgeon about it and he said it's the skin trying to latch on to the muscle, he told me to keep massaging it everyday while flexing my chest muscle by pushing on my hips/side. I have been doing that twice daily.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

And yes, I do have a crater on my other side...it curves inwards. I talked to my surgeon about it and he said it's the skin trying to latch on to the muscle, he told me to keep massaging it everyday while flexing my chest muscle by pushing on my hips/side. I have been doing that twice daily.

Sorry to bust your bubble but no exercise or massage will help the crater deformity -- it would probably require revision surgery.  Suggest you wait it out for everything to settle down -- possibly six months -- and then re-visit your surgeon to discuss the issue.

Dr Jacobs

[cold world]

And yes, I do have a crater on my other side...it curves inwards. I talked to my surgeon about it and he said it's the skin trying to latch on to the muscle, he told me to keep massaging it everyday while flexing my chest muscle by pushing on my hips/side. I have been doing that twice daily.

Sorry to bust your bubble but no exercise or massage will help the crater deformity -- it would probably require revision surgery.  Suggest you wait it out for everything to settle down -- possibly six months -- and then re-visit your surgeon to discuss the issue.

Dr Jacobs

Really ?

Since it's only been 2 months since surgery, I guess I'll keep doing what my surgeon told me to do and see how things look like a year from now. I really don't want to be operated on again, the scars are from the initial gyno surgery are bad enough.

In any case thanks for the response. I am scheduled to see my surgeon again in January so I guess I'll talk to him about it then.