Scar tissue or Breast tissue? Help!

[Grugglez]

I am right at 3 months post operation. Initially my left side was much larger than my right, but 3 months after surgery, my right side looks worse than my left did before surgery. I am not sure if this is just scar tissue or if the gland is back. The left side is still puffy but does not hurt, while the right side feels exactly like before surgery except maybe a little more painful and is still secreting fluid. I have been massaging daily, but the pain on my right side is almost too much to massage through. My question is can scar tissue be painful to the touch or is this the same gland that was supposedly removed?

[VaserGuy]

from an outside view it looks like gland to me,  but im not doctor.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

One cannot diagnose scar tissue vs retained gland by merely looking.  The diagnosis is often made by history.  That starts with the surgeon at the time of surgery.  Did he remove all or virtually all of the gland?  Ask him.  If your chest was originally smooth and flat right after surgery and if you were wearing snug compression to minimize swelling, then one could draw a reasonable conclusion that all tissue was properly removed.  If there was always some nipple elevation after surgery, then perhaps the operation was not complete.

Scar tissue usually starts within a few weeks after surgery and for some reason seems to grow mostly under the nipple -- so it looks like gland is re-growing.  In reality, that is extremely rare.  The usual pattern for scar tissue to grow is between 2-12 weeks -- and it is characterized by tenderness and elevation of the nipple/areola, oftentimes simulating a puffy nipple.  If this is the case, then return to your surgeon and discuss the possibility of cortisone injections to reduce the scar tissue.

Good luck!

Dr Jacobs