Question:
Since my surgery 10 days ago, I have experienced a pain just below my collar bone on

the left side. It especially hurts when I take a deep or quick breath. I keep expecting it to go away, but so far everything else is getting better but that.    — Lisa T. (posted on June 7, 2001)

June 7, 2001
If your surgery was done Lap then it could just be trapped gasses from where they filled yoou up so they could see. Try your best to cough and take deep breathes even though it hurts. Also if you start walking it helps to work it out. Good Luck
   — Robin C.

June 7, 2001
Did you have a central line? It's placed in the area you described. Mine was very sore for a couple of weeks, but eventually passed.
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 8, 2001
I had this same pain and it finally went away about three weeks post op, not really sure what it was, muscle strain, could be air trapped, but it will go away. good luck
   — Lisa B.

June 8, 2001
I just read on a website that post op lap surgery that you can have pain in your left shoulder from the trapped gases used to inflate you for the procedure. How wierd that I ran accross that yesterday... I thought to myself that it was strange to have shoulder pain on the left side. Cant remember the site or I would reference it. I also read about the center in Monterrey Mexico and Dr. Fox yesterday. My surgery for lap RNY is Monday morning... wow! Good luck and I hope you are doing great.
   — SusanMaria

June 8, 2001
I had a lap appendectomy a few years ago. It is very likely that the pain you are feeling is from the trapped gas. It lasted a few months for me and was really painful. At one point, my mother said she could see the gas bubbling under the skin below my shoulder. Ugh. No more lap procedures for me!
   — PT LawMom

August 21, 2001
I am not post-op however, I too had a bad pain on my left side and felt like I was having a heart attack or something. When you take a deep breath is the key. I had a condition called "Pluresy" (unsure of spelling) where a virus settles in your lungs - something you might not even know you had. Antibiotics take care of it - ask your doctor
   — Julie M.