Swelling directly on the incision site?

[eugd]

Just had the retro everything is going fine, except I developed some swelling directly under the incision site. Doctors told me not to worry b.c it’s confined under the skin and outside the skull? Anyone had this occur.  Everything is great no vertigo, hearing is preserved and no facial nerve damage.  Feeling great except in all areas except I’m concerned it might be a leak that could get worse?

[nancyann]

Hi Eugene:

I am so happy for you not having to deal with any major post op complications.

I didn't have swelling under the incisions site, but when I had bilateral ulna nerve surgery 2005, I had major swelling on each side, ended up being a hematoma(the doc warned me about it), both 'broke' with alot of blood on the dressing.  This certainly isn't what you're having. 

Is it along the whole incision line or just bulging in one area ??   I'd keep an eye on it, & continue to notify the Dr.
Unfortunately sometimes you have to get pushy with the docs if they don't follow up.  If you feel you need to see him/her before your next appt., I'd give them a call to say your coming out to the office, then go there regardless of what they say.  You gotta do what you gotta do.

Best wishes for continued great outcome,   Nancy

[Obita]

Congrats Eugene!!  Welcome to the Postie world.

It sounds like you couldn't have come out of surgery any better. 

For piece of mind, take a picture of your incision and email it to your doctors.  You will feel so much better once you get the "its nothing to worry about" phone call or email. 

Good luck and take it easy.........Kathy

[krbonner]

If you're at all concerned, definitely push your doctors to take your concerns seriously.

That said, I think I did have something similar.  I had a squishy bulge in between the back crease of my ear and my incision (I had translab).  It ended up being a pocket of fluid that cleared up on its own over the course of a couple months.  Wasn't a big deal at all.

I hope that's all it is for you, too.

Katie

[Gennysmom]

I had the same and it was like Katie's....My whole ear felt swollen and weird for a while, but by 3 months or so, it was feeling much more normal.  If it was squishy, like mine, you should ask the doctor about it to make sure it's not CSF leakage, but I think it's somewhat normal in the healing process....it's always good to have anything you're concerned about checked out though.

Congrats on becoming a postie!!!!

[eugd]

no I had a swollen mass after the surgery and still have it since they took out the stitches? doctors are not concerned about it I just want to know if anyone else had this with them? and how long was it till it resolved?

[terracotta]

my situation was likely much different. i developed a puffy fluctuant area around the incision and ear pain. no fever. turned out i had a cranial osteomyleitis.   

[Dzimy]

Hi Eugene,
I had Tranlab but was healing nicely and then developed swelling and irratation at the incision site.  Went to the Drs when developed a slight fever.  Turns out sometimes the internal stitches get spit out.  I guess it's a lot like when you have a splinter. Tenderness and swelling was what I experienced.    Donna

[eugd]

It’s more like a confined fluid pouch, probably from a leak right after the surgery.  I had the lumpy mass right after the sx. And even after the compression dressing came off, and after the stitches came out.  Now 2 weeks post opt they are telling me it ok b.c it’s confined under the skin outside the skull.  I don’t have any temp. Or fever I check my temp. 3-6 times daily just incase. Feel great even driving. Just got this mass and would like to know if anyone else had it and how long it took to get rid of it...Thanks for everyone’s input...Eugene

[eugd]

Quick update, Went back to the HEI 1/11/07 got a spinal tap and csf pressure was 21, got 100cc pulled out of me between the lump and the spine.  Then had a compression wrap on my head for 5 day. Now it’s flat, but in wait and see mode before I go back. Anyone else had this??

[jerseygirl]

Eugene,

I am sorry to hear about all your troubles! Did you actually have to fly back to CA after you came back home? What were the symptoms? Headaches, fevers? More fluid?

To answer your question, I had the fluid at the incision site, not leaking out but collecting. This was accompanied by headaches and fevers, so I had to go back to the hospital a few times. At each round the doctors tried something new: drain, antibiotics, etc. My body would refuse to heal. Finally, they put a lumbar-peritoneal shunt and that took care of the problem once and for all. If your doctors start talking about the shunt, ask for the one I had (LP) rather than VP because it does not get dislodged during MRI's and is completely unnoticeable. You can't feel it or see it. The scars are so small that they completely dissolved by now.

I know how frustrating it is for you but the most important thing is that your surgery went very well and this is just a bump in the road. You will recover and go on with your life!. It's inevitable!

           Eve

[eugd]

I flew back to California from NY. I had a slight fever but it was due to the sutures from my abdomen, my body was spitting out the disposable sutures. My wife was able to pull them out with a tweezers that resolved the temp.  Which was mostly 99.5 at night.  the only time I had headaches was when the fluid pocket got bigger and the skin pulled off the scalp. 

now I am on medication for 2 weeks and I received 2 lumbar punctures to remove fluid.  They think my pressure is slightly elevated b.c the arachnoid plexus might be clogged which is why I had the leak under the incision sight. 

[jerseygirl]

Eugene,

I am glad that things are going better for you. Now stay put - don't leave until every problem is resolved. If you needed a shunt or anything else, do you think there is any NY doctor who would do it? 

                     Eve

[ixta]

hi eugene, I had endoscopic by Shahinian at Skull Base  institute.
They told me that some post of Sx may include some "leakage" of csf. So I was expecting it.
1 week post, it started dripping very slow like an iv drip, It lasted abouit 4 days, I had a bandage taped below my mastoid to "catch" it.
I called Shahinian and he prescribed some intracranial hypertension meds to decrease csf output, it stopped immediately but I continued to take the meds for another 2 weeks.

2 weeks later, had my staples out.

He designed the surture upon closure to leak if need be just like Veterinarians do to stop abcesses from forming I suppose.
It felt "squishy" for a while, I could push near the staples and hear a wishy wishy sound, was kinda unerving, Like I was an orange or something.
Thankfully I didnt have to have a spinal tap,
I saw the movie though!
lets see if i have a pic of the drip....


eeewwwwww!!


LArge Version here.

Its an INVASIONN!!
http://kuato.ixtabai.com/wound12_6_06.JPG

[eugd]

can't see the pic or log into the link? I can't add my pic of the mri mass either?