{"id":44083,"date":"2026-04-07T19:27:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T19:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=44083"},"modified":"2026-04-07T19:27:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T19:27:10","slug":"what-is-post-mastectomy-pain-syndrome-inside-excruciating-complication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=44083","title":{"rendered":"What is post-mastectomy pain syndrome? Inside &#8216;excruciating&#8217; complication"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Losing your breasts comes with a lot of baggage.<\/p>\n<p>After Angelina Jolie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/05\/14\/opinion\/my-medical-choice.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced her preventative double mastectomy in 2013<\/a>, women increasingly sought breast cancer screenings, gene testing and mastectomies of their own in what\u2019s been hailed as a major win for <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/10\/health\/controversial-breast-cancer-treatment-increases-risk-of-dying-by-400\/\">breast cancer<\/a> prevention.<\/p>\n<p>But a disturbing trend has since emerged among women who have <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/07\/27\/health\/a-double-mastectomy-doesnt-help-chances-of-breast-cancer-survival\/\">undergone surgery to remove their breasts<\/a>, prompting researchers to question whether mastectomies offer patients the best quality of life once they leave the operating room.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><button class=\"button button--modal-trigger\" aria-label=\"Open the image in a modal.\" data-modal-image=\"39016748\"><br \/>\n\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-plus\" fill=\"#fff\" viewbox=\"0 0 1033 1000\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\"><path d=\"M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<figcaption>One in 8 US women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and the data shows more women are opting for early-stage and preventative mastectomies. <span class=\"credit\">Studio Romantic \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) \u2014 or <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8771815\/#:~:text=Debilitating%20pain%20after%20mastectomy%2C%20due,intercostobrachial%20nerve%20injury%20(3).\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">neuropathic pain syndrome<\/a>, and in some cases, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genderconfirmation.com\/post-mastectomy-pain-syndrome\/#:~:text=Post%20Top%20Surgery%20Pain%20Syndrome%20(PTSPS)%2C%20more%20commonly%20known,may%20even%20cause%20difficulty%20sleeping.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">post-top surgery pain syndrome<\/a> \u2014 can haunt patients for months and sometimes years after their scars heal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For some sufferers, the sensation is not just \u201cpain\u201d \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s more excruciating than childbirth.<\/p>\n<p>Given that the American Cancer Society estimates <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/cancer\/types\/breast-cancer\/about\/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 in 8 US women<\/a> will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, mastectomy surgery is the practical and life-saving choice for many women.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>And the data bears that out: Rates of breast cancer survival have steadily climbed since the 1980s as the surgery, which effectively treats and prevents cancer by fully removing one or both breasts, has grown more popular.<\/p>\n<p>But many mastectomy patients aren\u2019t aware of potential complications like PMPS \u2014\u00a0and only become aware once they\u2019re already experiencing them.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to <a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/post-mastectomy-pain-syndrome-breast-cancer-surgery-pmps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KFF Health News<\/a>, author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breastrecon.com\/about-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kathy Steligo<\/a>, who\u2019s written extensively on breast cancer and interviewed hundreds of patients, said she\u2019s become quite familiar with the condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve known women who\u2019ve had chronic pain \u2014 itching, burning, stabbing pain \u2014 for years after mastectomies,\u201d she said. \u201cOf all the problems, that is probably the one least talked about by surgeons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some researchers are trying to change that.<\/p>\n<p>Several <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38646223\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recent papers<\/a> have advocated for more serious study of PMPS, which still doesn\u2019t have an \u201cofficial definition,\u201d according to KFF \u2014 though it often looks like pain in the chest, shoulder, arm or armpit that tends to stick around for at least three months after the procedure.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI labored to 10 centimeters, unmedicated, with one of my children, and that was not as bad as this. It was excruciating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>Jeni Golomb, double mastectomy patient<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>There are several unknowns that surround PMPS, but New York plastic surgeon Jonathan Bank has said the condition is likely the cause of nerves that have been severed during surgery and not sutured back up, which would minimize the pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Few surgeons performing mastectomies have been trained to do that last part.<\/p>\n<p>Experts like Stanford University anesthesiologist Sean Mackey have said the toll of PMPS is often underplayed by doctors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe condition was historically dismissed,\u201d Mackey told KFF. \u201cBasically women were told: \u2018You\u2019re lucky to be alive. Some pain is expected. Suck it up and deal with it.\u2019 That attitude has been slow to change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, Bank <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34316427\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">coauthored a paper<\/a> with a fellow surgeon about PMPS. \u201cIn the past, when concern was predominantly on patient survival, this pain was often considered acceptable,\u201d they wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, however, mastectomies \u201cshould be considered truly successful only if patients are pain-free.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><button class=\"button button--modal-trigger\" aria-label=\"Open the image in a modal.\" data-modal-image=\"39016751\"><br \/>\n\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"icon-plus\" fill=\"#fff\" viewbox=\"0 0 1033 1000\" width=\"1em\" height=\"1em\"><path d=\"M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z\"\/><\/svg><br \/>\n<\/button><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" 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https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=105,70&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 105w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=81,54&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 81w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=200,133&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=231,154&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=322,215&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 322w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=662,441&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 662w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=90,60&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 90w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=120,80&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 120w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=1200,800&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=1038,692&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 1038w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=87,58&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 87w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=50,33&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 50w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/middle-aged-caucasian-woman-headscarf-122663470_0e970e.jpg?resize=150,100&amp;quality=75&amp;strip=all 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 885px) 100vw, 885px\"\/><figcaption>PMPS has been \u201chistorically dismissed\u201d by breast surgeons and other doctors, according to Stanford anesthesiologist Sean Mackey. <span class=\"credit\">DragonImages \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Double mastectomy patient and breast cancer survivor Jeni Golomb, 48, who takes 1,500 milligrams of gabapentin each day to manage her chronic PMPS, called the condition the \u201cworst pain\u201d she\u2019d ever felt.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI labored to 10 centimeters, unmedicated, with one of my children, and that was not as bad as this. It was excruciating,\u201d she told KFF.<\/p>\n<p>Sophia Bassan, 43, is now three years older than her grandmother was at the time of her death from breast cancer. Bassan recently sought a double mastectomy after genetic testing showed she was at risk of developing the disease herself.<\/p>\n<p>During her months of recovery, she experienced pain so agonizing she couldn\u2019t lie down.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cOne time I was in so much pain that I had to take off my top, and then my cat\u2019s tail brushed against my back,\u201d she told KFF. \u201cI screamed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWomen don\u2019t know about this, and when they have complications, the doctors act like it is so rare, like they\u2019re so baffled,\u201d Bassan added. \u201cBut this is statistically predictable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.center4research.org\/many-american-women-mastectomies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mastectomy rates on the rise<\/a> \u2014\u00a0part of what scientists now are calling the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29808287\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Angelina Jolie effect<\/a>\u201d \u2014 it seems PMPS education will only become more relevant and necessary.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But for Bassan, one of the scores of women influenced by Jolie, that education has come too late.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was really swayed by that,\u201d Bassan said of Jolie\u2019s essay. \u201cShe made it sound, in a way, quite effortless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Post reached out to Jolie\u2019s reps for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Now, after losing her job due to \u201cparalyzing pain\u201d that prevents her from even using a computer for a few hours at a time, Bassan has wondered if she made the right decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not expect to pay this price to have this surgery,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if it was worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/07\/health\/what-is-post-mastectomy-pain-syndrome-inside-excruciating-complication\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Losing your breasts comes with a lot of baggage. After Angelina Jolie announced her preventative double mastectomy in 2013, women increasingly sought breast cancer screenings, gene&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}