Chest pains after surgery?

[PSJ71 0]

Hi all,

I have been reading some of the posts. I am soooo addicted to this site. I have really been looking forward to getting the lap band, but I have been seeing posts about chest pain after surgery? I'm scared of that. On a scale from 1 to 10, what are your scores for the after pains of surgery? I have had many surgeries and soreness, muscle spasms, I am no stranger to, but I don't know if I could handle chest or shoulder pain.

I really want to have this done, but now I'm scared.

[aclubb 0]

I got banded yesterday and the only chest pain I've had was when I needed to take a real deep breath. You know how they give you the little breathing thing after surgery? Once I do that a few times the chest pain is mostly gone. My sister just had lap band and was having lower abdominal and shoulder pain after her surgery. She went to the ER and they told her she was dehydrated and the pain may have been coming from the way she was laying during surgery.

I had a c-section about 2 years ago and the pain from the lap band surgery is really nothing compared to that. Remember that everyone's experience is different. A lot of it depends on your physical condition and age before the surgery, etc. Don't let others' experience scare you off - just ask A TON of questions.

[Jodi_620 37]

I have not had chest pain. If I get stuck or eat too much I sort of have chest/esophogus pain. But that can be avoided by eating slowly chewing well and not overeating.

Laproscopic surgery can also cause left shoulder pain. This comes from the gas they use to swell up your abdominal cavity during surgery (kinda blow you up like a balloon). If all of the gas is not removed before they close you up (which usually happens) then the gas tends to settle near your left shoulder. It wasn't bad for me, sort of like a bad muscle ache front and back of the shoulder and the very upper part of my arm. The pain was not steady, I just got it every once in a while. And it lasted off and on for about a month. Nothing really to be afraid of, just annoying.

The most painful part of the lap band surgery for me was the port site pain. If you have had other surgeries I think that this compares to most minor incisions after surgery but because of the location it gets irritated easily. Mine is right above my belly button and at my waistband where clothing tended to irritate it. It was very tender and took the longest to heal but the most pain was within maybe the first few days and it improved every day from there.

[PSJ71 0]

Thank you for your responses. I definite want to do this. The worst surgery pain I have ever had was when I had surgery as a kid on my hips a year apart from each other for a slipped capitellum of the femoral head. The muscle spasms were excrutiating!! My C-section wasn't so bad. I likened it to doing too many situps or crunches. Thank you again for making me feel much, much better.

[gilst1hs 0]

I had the lap band surgery this past tuesday on 07/07 and have had some chest pain. I am not trying to scare you off, but it is not fun. It freaked me out a bit at first because I didn't know if it was normal. But I called the doctors office today and they ensured me that it is just from the gas and it will go away. It isn't a constant pain, but it seems to come and go every now and then and last about 5 seconds. It is not unbearable, just kind of catches you off guard. Has anyone else felt this pain in the chest? Good Luck!

[PSJ71 0]

I had the lap band surgery this past tuesday on 07/07 and have had some chest pain. I am not trying to scare you off, but it is not fun. It freaked me out a bit at first because I didn't know if it was normal. But I called the doctors office today and they ensured me that it is just from the gas and it will go away. It isn't a constant pain, but it seems to come and go every now and then and last about 5 seconds. It is not unbearable, just kind of catches you off guard. Has anyone else felt this pain in the chest? Good Luck!

We had surgery the same day, and I have been experiencing a lot of chest pressure and dull, achy and very uncomfortable pain around my diaphragm. Cannot burp. Today feels a little bit better, but it makes it difficult to get in the Water and other Protein liquids. Hopefully, this will all resolve for us.

[BandedBelle 0]

I was banded on June 2nd and have been having alot of gas pain in my chest. Sometimes to the point where I cant stand up straight. I've tried walking around and gas x strips. Now my doc says to use Milicon for babies. The gas is really annoying because I can barely get any calories in cause of the pressure in my chest

[PuppyBandit 2]

I had a diff type of surgery in 2003 that used the gas to blow me up and the left shoulder pain was pretty bad, it was worse when I coughed for some reason. That is something I'm not looking forward to, but it will go away. At least you (if you get it) will know what it is and not think you are having a heart attack

[Princess520 0]

Ok so I don't feel so bad about my chest/shoulder pain. Thanks to everyone for clearing that up. I had my Lap Band surgery on 8/24 and I woke up thinking I was gonna die because of the pain in my shoulders and chest. Over the course of the first week I slept for three days because of the pain. But now I'm feeling better and when I get the sudden rush of pain usually I can burp and feel much better. This has been such an amazing journey, it's hard to describe without crying..LOL

[honk 780]

Chest pain from gas 0, pain when trying to take really deep breaths for the breathing toy 2.

[BeachBabe 0]

I have never had surgery and I was only slightly in pain in the chest. Most of my pain was from the incision sites. It hurt to cough or sneeze for a week but on a scale on 1-10 on chest/shoulder pain I was about a 5. The incision pain was a 8 but the pain meds helped this a ton.

[Lady Lap Band 71]

I had a lot of chest pains. I ended up staying an additional night in the Hospital BC of it. It was just the gas that they fill you up with, but they did it as a precaution. scale of 1-10....8ish???

[dar36 5]

I had my surgery on 8/17 and can actually say that I did not experience the gas pain, chest pain, or shoulder pain that everyone, including the doctor, told me to expect. I even had a hiatal hernia, which is supposed to cause shoulder pain. I would say that I had discomfort, not pain.

Remember, everyone's experience is different and everyone has different pain thresholds.

Also, you will have prescription pain medication, which will help you.

Don't let it scare you. I actually posted a simlilar question before my surgery because I was nervous too. Now I am on the other side and can honestly say that I feel so awesome. This was the best decision I ever made. You will be so happy.

[bandongal 0]

banded on 8/28. I had chest pain here and there for 3-5 seconds at level of 6 or 7. By day 7 it lessoned alot and by day 8 it is gone:thumbup: Not bad incisional pain achy sometimes at matbe a "4". I did have very bad lower abdominal gas pain on my 4th night at a level of "8" that lasted a good 5 minutes until I took my hydocodone and got my heating pad--then it was gone and never happened like that again:) I am glad I always had ample pain meds AND nausea meds. too since the pain meds make me feel like throwing up--they do make you sleepy though.

[pooky032281 8]

The gas pains have been the only real pain I have had...in my left shoulder and like a huge burp that won't come out. This is post op day 3, and its much better than yesterday. I haven't taken any meds since Friday.