# Post-Surgical Complication/Adhesions?



## WillisWay (Mar 6, 2014)

It's been 4-and-a-half weeks since my total thyroidectomy (papillary carcinoma and Hashimoto's multinodular goiter). I have other health issues that always seem to complicate matters (autoimmune). I was seen by my surgeon a week after surgery and I complained of a rock-hard swelling that was painful and tight in the front of my neck (about 4" x 5"). I explained it was interfering with sleep. I also was dealing with coughing when I tried to lie down. She said it was an inflammatory reaction/response and time would take care of it. She said I could go to my internist if I was concerned about any symptoms, but from a surgical standpoint, I looked great.

I saw my internist, and he deferred to my endocrinologist.

I saw my endocrinologist at 3-and-a-half weeks after surgery, and she did not like this complication and felt it needed to be addressed. She prescribed a steroid dose pack to treat any inflammation for six days. She was concerned I might have adhesions growing and said it could get worse and might need surgical revision. She told me to call her to report on how the steroids worked to fight the inflammation. I also started taking a cough suppression medicine at night to help me sleep more.

I called today and reported that the steroids gave me energy and helped some of the other aches and pains, but the problem with the front of my neck/throat was no better (maybe even worse). She had me call the surgeon, and said she would ALSO be calling the surgeon to make sure this gets addressed and is not brushed off as "time will heal all wounds."

So I called the surgeon, and they are getting me in tomorrow for a re-check, even though she had already discharged me from her surgical care.

I have the feeling she's going to minimize my situation and tell me how good my incision looks (and it does look good)!

So, I'd like to arm myself with as much knowledge as possible to be able to advocate my needs with her.

Have any of you had a similar post-surgical complication? And have any of you dealt with internal adhesions/scar tissue? How did they check for it? How did the treat it?

If you've had to have revision surgery due to something not related to the actual incision scar on the outside, I'd like to hear about your experience.

Thanks for your help!
Kathy Willis


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## Bluebird (Mar 21, 2014)

I don't know if it's the same thing, but after my surgery, I developed what someone else referred to as a vienna sausage right behind the incision. LOL, weird, but that's what it looked & felt like. I was panicked, thinking the scar tissue was going to be built up & huge. I protruded from the incision by at least an inch. Everyone assured me it would go away...and it did. It was just part of healing. Now it's very flat & all that swelling & scar tissue (or whatever it was) has gone completely away.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> And have any of you dealt with internal adhesions/scar tissue? How did they check for it? How did the treat it?


I think we all deal with adhesion's - some worse than others. I kept a cod pack on my incision to help deal with swelling and it seemed to keep the swelling under control. You are far out enough from your surgery to have a massage therapist massage and break up the adhesion's that have formed. I loved it - I felt like a dog getting scratched behind the ears when mine were released.

Are you on replacement yet?


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