Quote:
Originally Posted by Blurto
Hi Katie,
Your shortness of breath would be a touch of pleurisy which should not take too long to get over. The rib cage generally assists with all things breathing and a full rib resection can have an impact on some peoples ability to breath as easily as they used to be able to. If your surgeon happened to touch the Pleura (the lining surrounding the lungs) during surgery, you will get a bit of irritation and inflammation until it settles also.
Did you have shortness of breath in hospital as well? I couldn't walk five yards without needing a rest. I couldn't talk and walk at the same time, which some thought was a good thing...
Shortness of breath is not mentioned often in these forums but you can be confident that you should get over it after a while. Remember to keep warm when it gets colder again.
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I need to add that if any imaging.....xray, etc. shows that the diaphragm is elevated into the lung space that it is an indication that the phrenic nerve has been damaged and can definitely cause breathing issues. When that occurs the phrenic nerve can take a while to heal....it is the "motor" that works the diaphragm which will be weak and possibly take a lengthy time to work as it is supposed to.
I know because my diaphragm was still elevated at 20 months post op.