Not pleased with what my tests found

I just saw the results of my X-ray and ultrasound and am not happy.  I haven't talked with my doctor about them yet; they were just emailed to me so I need to wait to hear from my doctor.

There are two things that really bother me.  One, is that my surgeon left surgical clips in my body.  It says: "Surgical clips are present in the epigastrium."  I googled epigastrium and it appears to be high up, in the center of my chest area, but deeper inside, in my upper stomach area.

The report didn't say anything about it or recommend anything, so I'm hoping they were left there on purpose, maybe to stop bleeding,  and not by accident.  It really freaked me out to read that though.  I am praying I won't need to have them removed as the last thing i want is more surgery.

The other issue is:

"There is a broadband of atelectasis at the left lung base. There is no consolidation, pleural effusion or pneumothorax." 

So I googled that and basically part of my left lung is deflated, and this can be common after surgery.  I have severe chronic asthma.  The report recommends deep breathing.  Maybe this is why my oxygen levels dropped so much that I needed oxygen for two nights in the hospital. I was given one of those devices where you try to make the balls rise, but the nurse said my asthma was too bad to do it (I had an asthma attack every time I tried) and to just make sure I was coughing, breathing, and walking.  I never could make the balls move.  I can walk for an hour and feel OK, just a bit lightheaded and weak after 30 minutes, but walking up stairs even once makes me very weak.  I just assumed it was my asthma.  I hope my lungs will reinflate as the last thing I need is more breathing problems.

The third issue is I have problems with the discs in my thoractic and lumbar region.  I knew about this as I was seriously assaulted by one of my teenaged special needs students years ago.  They thought at first that she had broken my neck but it turned out that she had damaged my discs (the fluid sacs that cushion the discs were ruptured).  But I guess that explains the back pain I've been having since surgery.  The heating pad helps.

The good news is that they did not find any obstructions, which is what I was worried about.  They also said my heart looked good.

Does anyone know anything about surgical clips?  Is it normal for them to be left behind after surgery?

Thanks,

Kathy

Oh Kathy!  I'd be freaking out.  Try and stay calm until you've talked to the doctor.  I know it's hard, but I've gotten myself worked up about things I have researched on my own before, only to find it wasn't what I thought.

I had that breathing device too, even though I don't have any asthma or oxygen issues.  I was told to use it at home for at least a week.  You might want to ask if you started using it again if that would help strengthen your lung.

No obstruction is a good thing.  I hope they can resolve the others for you really soon so you can feel like you've really started on your new life.

How long do you have to wait for your appointment?

I am pretty calm, considering, and very happy that I don't have an obstruction.  I'll feel better once I talk to my doctor. I sent him an email and he usually responds by the end of the day.  I don't think I'll hear from my surgeon; I usually just talk with his secretary. 

I have an appointment in Sudbury on the 28th, and they are the liason between my family doctor and the surgeon. I live in Northern Ontario and had to go through the Northern Ontario Bariatric network in Sudbury to have surgery.  All of the normal things most people do at their surgeon's offices are done at my family doctor's here in town, and then the information is forwarded to Sudbury and they forward it to Toronto.  I see the nurse, dietician, social worker, etc., in Sudbury and only went to Toronto for the actual surgery.  It's kind of complicated.

I just hope the clips were left in me on purpose and that they are the dissolvable kind.  It freaks me out to have foreign objects in me; I don't even have my ears pierced as I hate the thought of stuff in me, lol.

Hi Kathy,

It's so understandable you would be so concerned.  As hard as it is please wait to discuss with the surgeon.  I know my surgeon ended up having to open me up because he could not get the staples to close my stomach and I just kept leaking and leaking.  I am sure I set off alarms at the airport he left so much metal in me.

The second thing I want to share with you is I was having really bad headaches and went for a head CT scan.  You know how you can go on  your medical site and see your test results?  I saw the notation and didn't know what they meant. I too googled and started to FREAK out. Everything I found on it indicated early signs of MS.  My appointment with my doctor was 5 days away and it was the longest 5 days of my life.

When I met with my doctor he assured me what was seen and indicated was normal for my age.  Ugh, getting old stinks but no MS.

So my friend, take a breath and try and wait until you speak with the surgeon. If you are making your self sick with worry call their office and let them know how you much you are scared and see if they will have the doctor look at the test results and call you.

Keep us posted!

Hi Kathy,

I'm so sorry you had issues with leaking.  I don't have any staples, just dis solvable stitches (and apparently surgical clips, lol).

I'm so glad you didn't have MS!

I only googled to get definitions for the medical terms i didn't understand. 

I don't actually get to talk with my surgeon because I live in Northern Ontario; everything is done with my family doctor and routed through Sudbury.  I would see the surgeon again if I needed new surgery to fix complications, and at my 6 month follow up.  All other follow ups are with my family doctor here in town, or in Sudbury (a 4 hour drive away).  Toronto is a 10 hour drive away, so Sudbury takes all of the patients in Northern Ontario so we don't have to do the long drive all the time.  There is no doctor in Sudbury though, just the nurse, social worker, dietician, etc.  It's all rather confusing but part of living in the North.  It would be so much better if there were surgeons in Sudbury and everything was done there, instead of Toronto. Maybe that will come in the future.  In the past, we were allowed to go to Traverse City, Michigan for our surgeries, fully covered by OHIP, but then about 6 years ago they started sending us to Toronto instead.  My friend went to Traverse City and had a wonderful experience there; it was a top notch hospital with all of the latest equipment.  My hospital was very old, with no modern equipment; not even pain pumps.

I'm just hoping the clips were left in on purpose and that they are the dis-solvable kind.

Hi Kathy,

Yes, I had surgery in the bad old days when they still used   I understand your concern, and yikes on access to medical.  Maybe if we could take the best of yours and our and we would have a winner. Oh wait is there good in our?  LOL

Please keep me posted!!!!

OH my,  So sorry to hear this Kathy albeit happy they found this now and not years down the road.

Don't believe all you read on the internet, but I would definitely be making an appointment pronto to find out what's next.

WOW.

Hi Kathy,

I agree with Wayne.  The internet is a double-edged sword:  it provides us with information, misinformation and information out of context.  I'm glad you will be seeing your doctor and that you are remaining calm. My husband is even mad at me that I see my blood test results.  You were and are in good hands.  Best of luck and keep us posted with the results.

Linda

Hi Kathy!  Surgical clips usually indicate that there was something repaired in that area of which you speak.   Surgeons can use clips, glue or plugs for various different things within the body if there is a need to repair a minor issue they may encounter during a procedure.    I know it is a scary thought, but it is something that is common from time to time.  

A couple of suggestions:  

• Call the hospital and get a copy of your Op Report from the surgery and it will outline how many clips were place, where and for what reason.   You will have to pay a small fee for a copy, but it can be a good thing to have should you ever change PCP/Surgeons, etc.   

• Or, depending on how easy your surgeon is to reach, you could call and ask him/her why they had to use the clips, etc.  

You do have a right to ask and to understand what was done and why, so I would definitely do one of the above for peace of mind and to be well informed as to what has been done, etc.  

I hope this is somewhat helpful and alleviates a bit of your anxiety. 

Good luck! 

Thank you.  I'm still waiting to hear why they were left, and whether or not it's normal to leave them.  I'm not questioning why they were used, but why they were left behind, and am hoping it is just routine.

My surgeon did not use staples at all.  He used sutures that dissolve.

Thank you for the idea about the op report.

Take care.