1 month post op.. do I have fluid or?

[anogyne]

Hi,

I'm 22 years old and am 1 month and 4 days post op. I had lipo and gland removal. Left side is flat since like maybe 1 week post op. My right side I had more pain in and it is still swollen and hard.

I'm wondering if I have fluid or how do I tell if I have that?

One mistake I did when on drugs after operation is that I rolled over cause' I couldn't fall asleep on my back.. so I rolled over to my right side. Didn't feel anything at the time because of the local anaestethic.. when I tried doing the same thing at home it hurt like crazy.

So how do I tell if it is fluid or just swollen and will go down by itself?

[nitrox987]

It's probably not fluid since it's hard.
I am no doctor but in a previous post of yours with some post-op pictures your right side looks like there could be an hematoma.
If it was indeed an hematoma and was not treated that could explain why it's hard now. It could also be scar tissue.
You might want to have it checked by your surgeon to make sure it's normal and there is nothing to do about it.

Good luck!

[corvette09]

Your pictures really do not look that bad. Your best bet is go back to your PS and get his opinion. If indeed it is a hematoma your PS may give you the option of draining it or just tell you to wait and see. Are you still using your compression vest?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

If one side became dramatically larger than the other post-op, then you should have seen your surgeon immediately.  It is truly not up to the patient to self-diagnose whether he has fluid or not.  Bottom line is that you are not even -- and you should be.

Best advice:  Return to your surgeon.

Dr Jacobs

[anogyne]

If one side became dramatically larger than the other post-op, then you should have seen your surgeon immediately.  It is truly not up to the patient to self-diagnose whether he has fluid or not.  Bottom line is that you are not even -- and you should be.

Best advice:  Return to your surgeon.

Dr Jacobs

The thing is that I've called the clinic twice to describe my situation, and been to the re-visit 1 week post-op. The nurse said that everything looked normal and it does look a lot better now than in the pictures I took.
I've been told everytime I said that my right side is completely different that it's normal.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Why aren't you able to see your surgeon face-to-face?  He is really the person who knows what transpired during your operation -- not a nurse who most likely wasn't even there during the operation..

Dr Jacobs

[anogyne]

Why aren't you able to see your surgeon face-to-face?  He is really the person who knows what transpired during your operation -- not a nurse who most likely wasn't even there during the operation..

Dr Jacobs

I called the clinic and scheduled an appointment. This time I got a different nurse. More gentle and caring. I showed her my sides and she explained that it's different halves of the body and different parts of the brain. And said that it could be connected to me being right-handed.
Not sure if that makes sense but she guaranteed that there was no need to drain and that the swelling would go down in about 2 more weeks.

Also got some ointment that's supposed to help with bruises and hematomas. Not sure if it's placebo but it feels better anyways.

[Markito]

Who did your surgery? i am with Dr. Jacobs when he asked why you have not been able to see the surgeon. That makes no sense.  The way you describe your followups with nurse is strange to say the least. I have never heard of a cream that prevents a hematoma. Have you seen the surgeon since and explained what the nurses are telling you. Besides swelling and some bruises you should be equal on both sides if surgery was done well. 

[anogyne]

My surgeon is a swedish surgeon. I was told he was unavailable and also worked in different cities. Only had thursdays for visits and they were fully booked for a long while.

Not sure there's an improvement but I think so. I think my body slowly absorbs the fluid.

The cream is called : Hirudoid

[Markito]

Thanks for getting back to me. I understand most surgeons are very busy, however, follow-up on surgery especially if there is bump in the road is crucial. Did he at least talk with you over the phone? I guess at this point you are healing nicely so that's positive and most important.

That is great to hear that your body is absorbing it. I hope your results are everything you have been hoping for. I appreciate the info on the cream.

All the Best,

Markito