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Has anyone had breast lymphedema which then spread to the arm?

Breast Cancer | Last Active: Dec 25, 2023 | Replies (39)
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@sarahmh

So we are in the 1%? I sure wish it was the financial 1%; I’d pay everyone’s medical bills! It’s such a slap to not only get cancer but have to pay tens of thousands for the privilege.
Hey, I have “sensitivity” to Vicryl sutures as well! My OB first recognized it, when the 40 stitches I got after delivering my first baby didn’t dissolve, and the tear took 4 months to heal, and hurt and itched and was swollen. I mentioned the suture sensitivity to my breast surgeon and IR doc who inserted/removed my chemo port. They didn’t seem to have heard of this and I don’t think they took it seriously, and I had the same issues (but much less severe) at my armpit and port incisions. My skin would also “spit out” little pieces of suture material for months. The breast incision, which curved right around my areola, was pretty much fine, except for the visible knotted end which took forever to disappear/fall off/dissolve. I had my port removed 1.5 years ago, and I think I currently have one of those bumps encasing a stitch that you’re talking about!

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timely | @timely | Dec 13, 2023

Hi @sarahmh

Thank you so much for getting back to me.

It is amazing that you had the same experience with an allergic reaction to the self-dissolving stitches.
I even had that tied knot sticking out after 6 months and pulled it out.

I wrote to the company that makes the Vicryl stitches.

There was a post on Pub Med about this very problem with the Vicryl stitches in 2009 that some have had this experience.

I also had an allergic reaction to the chlorihexidine which they used to clean my breast before surgery. Breast got pink and burned and the skin looked like there were small paper cuts.
The nurse washed it off with regular soap.

I read that in some hospitals they use chlorihexidine to sterilize the Vicryl stitch material before use and the stitch material is soaked in it…

I have put on my charts for 2 hospital systems to not use Vicryl or chlorihexidine on me.

Also, my daughter had the same reaction to stitches after her caesarean.
She never told me until after I had my experience.

I have seen a posting on another site of 2 people who had this problem.

Otherwise, we are almost one in a million. ☺️

My theory is that all this did not help the breast and may have inflamed it and caused lymph problems.

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