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Shoulder pain 2 weeks after surgery

Posted , 3 users are following.

Bogdan
Bogdan

Hi guys,

[Short Story]

I'm 28, 6'2" and very skiny. Used to smoke before this happened as well.

Had VATS (lobectomy+mechanical pleurodesis) done about 2 weeks ago folowing 3 recurrent pneumothoraxes on my left side.

Recovery up till this point has been extremely swift and pain has loosened up to the point I no longer require painkillers.

3 days ago I went to the hospital to get checked out for the most horrendous sound coming from below the ribs on the same side, espectially audible when hungry. The thing is this sound has not been there before the surgery and it's extremely loud (dunno if it can be called gurgling, it's something along those lines, or like things are rubbing eachother). You can literally hear it from a few feet away - disturbing stuff.

The xray was clear and they've told me I have absolutely nothing to worry about. There's also a dip on the left side below the ribs that they can't explain.

What concerns me even more is that for a few days now I'm having shoulder pain. People that had pneumothorax probably know the pain I'm talking about - the docs say it has to do with the diaphragm being irritated.

Now, I've had some of this pain prior to taking the above mentioned xray but it only seems to have gotten worse since. It mostly happens when I sit (like on a chair).

Granted, I have been sleeping on my right side in the meantime but this is really worrying me.

I don't wanna be knocking on the hospital's door daily (I've just had an Xray 3 days ago). Anybody else started having shoulder pain a few weeks after surgery that they can explain?

Thanks,

B. 

 

[Long Story]

I've had preventive surgery done on the left side about 2 weeks ago after recurrent pneumothorax (3 of them). The first one happened about a year ago but I had no idea what it is so I never went to the doctor, it eventually healed by itself (it took a long time, but it healed). The second one happened about two months ago and that one sent me to the hospital. They guessed what it is and I took an x ray to confirm. Chest tube followed and given it was healing well I was sent home within a 3-4 days to continue recovery there.

Recovery went fine and progress to 95% for the first 2 weeks, but during the 3rd it recollapsed a little bit when I got out of bed in the morning. This time around they only did the aspiration with a syringe (800ml of air I think it was). 

After this 3rd episode I had VATS (video assisted thoracic surgery) and the doctors performed a lobectomy (removed the top of my left lung, maybe 20-30%) and mechanical pleurodisis. The surgery was considered to be a success, recovery went really well, the chest drain was removed 2 and a half days after surgery and I was sent home after another day. The doctor said I have a bit of trapped air in the appex but that's almost normal after surgery and I shouldn't be worries. Follow up after a 3-4 weeks and before going back to work to confirm the air has been reabsorbed. 

I'm home now, 2 weeks after, and the pain is loosening, everything seems to be going according to plan. Because I was hearing very loud gurgling/rubbing like noises from below the ribs on the left side I went to the doctor's this Friday to check and took an xray but there was nothing there. This gets worse when I have not eaten, but it is something that I was not experiencing before the surgery, it's very loud and scary, it sounds like things are rubbing eachother and you can hear it from a few feet away.

I also started experiencing some shoulder pain (people that had pneumothorax are probably very familiar with this pain) a few days before I got this above mentioned xray and it only got worse up till now - when I'm writing this here. This pain wasn't there after surgery and it is consistent with the shoulder pain you get after your lung collapses. But other than this I'm not exibiting any other symptoms and the xray I took a few days ago was clear. 

Has anybody else experienced pneumothorax-like shoulder pain a while after surgery? I understand this has to do with the diaphragm being irritated but I cannot find any explanation why it would happen now, 2 weeks later. 

it happens mostly when I sit (like on a chair). 

I've only had an xray 3 days ago and don't want to knock on the hospotal's door daily but I'm really getting concerned with this.

Thank you,

Bogdan

 

1 like, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Bogdan
    Bogdan

    Posted

    [Notes:]

    I have been trying to be more active in the meantime, took some longer walks, did some shopping, carried a few light boxes and started sleeping on the sides rather than on the back only. 

    Just felt I should be mentioning this. 

  • stephb22
    stephb22 Bogdan

    Posted

    Hi I saw this was posted over a year ago but wanted to say I'm 3 weeks out from hospital and have the gurgling (never had before) and intermittent shoulder and chest pain. Hope you are feeling better now!
  • MissMichelle
    MissMichelle Bogdan

    Posted

    Hey Bogdan

    I had a gurgling sound too, lasted maybe a month... I also had popping down the side of my chest, it was like air bubbles inside of me...

    I had shoulder pain and pain in the back for a long time.... When your lung collapses it causes a lot of nerve damage... As far as.... Down your arm, your side, shoulder, back, chest and close to your spine. Sounds like it could be a possibility that this is what it may be

    As long as your X-rays are ok.

    Hope this helps.

    Michelle

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