Home → Treatment & Side Effects → Surgery → Reconstruction → Ask-the-Expert Conferences: Reconstruction → May 2007: Reconstruction Updates → Burning pain after reconstruction?

Burning pain after reconstruction?

Page last modified on: October 15, 2008

Question from Stitch: Is it common to have a burning-like pain from the reconstructed breast? I have been told by my surgeon that I have some TRAM necrosis — is this bad? And will it resolve itself or will I need further repair? I had simple mastectomy with sentinel nodes and immediate TRAM reconstruction last year. No radiation or chemo. Thanks for your time!: Answers —Joseph Serletti, M.D., F.A.C.S.: It's not common to have long-term pain within the breast reconstruction. What your plastic surgeon is probably referring to is the areas of fat necrosis. These typically will not change over time. I'll ask Dr. Sabol to comment on the nerve pain following surgery.; Jennifer Sabol, M.D., F.A.C.S.: I think what you describe as burning pain does seem to be originating from a nerve. In most reconstruction, when you bring up the tummy tissue the nerves are actually transsected or cut, and therefore you should get no sensation from that tissue. What you may be experiencing is some pain from the sentinel lymph node biopsy site, which are the intercostal nerves. These often supply sensation to the skin over the lateral chest wall and the upper inner arm, and when they are regenerating, patients often describe a burning or raw type of sensation to the skin in these areas, even though there's no visible damage. This can take up to two years to stabilize and to go away, so I would not lose hope that your symptoms will eventually go away. On a very rare occasion, a pain specialist (anesthesiologist) may be able to localize the source of the discomfort and help with a nerve block. You should discuss this further with the surgeon that performed the mastectomy.

On Wednesday, May 16, 2007, the Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Reconstruction Updates. Joseph Serletti, M.D. and moderator Jennifer Sabol, M.D. answered your questions about breast reconstruction.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Joseph M. Serletti, M.D., F.A.C.S. is professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a pioneer in the field of free flap autologous breast reconstruction.

Jennifer Sabol, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a breast surgeon who directs the newly developed Breast Care Center at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa. Among her many interests, Dr. Sabol spearheads several research initiatives to advance the care for women with breast cancer and improve methods of breast cancer detection and treatment.