need medical advice

[papasmurff]

I had my gallbladder taken out in march of this last year as some of you may remember.  So i have been feeling like crap lately and today i felt a "pop" in my right up abs.  So i called my followed by some pain surgeon's office--he wasn't in--so she told me to go to my primary Dr or to urgent care. 

Well, after work i went to urgent care.  The Dr. was pretty nice ran blood, urine, and took x-rays.  I am there for 3 hours so i know something is up. 

the Dr. finally comes back in and asks what surgeries I have had.  I tell him my gallbladder and i had a broken arm.  Turns out that the x-ray showed that one of the clips used on my gallbladder has popped off and is now free floating around my abdominal cavity   He tells me not to worry about it everything should be fine.   I get discharged and head home

I don't want my parents warring about me;  i had called my mom to let her know i was going into the hospital.  So I call on my way out and let them know what the Dr said.  They were freaking out about it when i told them what i found out.  So i decide to call the surgeon's office back and talk with his answering service.

They ask me a bunch of questions about why i was calling and what was going on, and finally decide that I should talk to the Dr.  They take my number and pass it on to him.  He calls me back about 15 min later and I explain to him what I had felt and what they did in urgent care.  He said he wasn't too worried and that I should be fine.  But with all the stories I have heard about medical waste and shit like this causing major complications--it hasn't really eased my mind any.

For those who want to know, the clip that was by my right rib cage is now located on the lower right ab/upper right groin area.

Anyone have any good advice for me...or am i over reacting

[CeeKay]

you're just trying to steal Katos thunder, aren't ya?





 

[papasmurff]

you're just trying to steal Katos thunder, aren't ya?





 

hahahaha no.....

[kratz]

My completely uneducated opinion is 'get that shit out of you', but also that you probably are in ok shape if you don't do it RIGHT NOW.

[cheeba]

They often leave bullets in people when they feel they won't do any harm. I don't think you have much to worry about. Get a second opinion from another doc if it makes you feel better, but I doubt it'd do you any harm if the ER doc and your surgeon have both said it's no biggie.

[disarm]

hmm...i am one of the medical people around here, so i guess i'll throw my opinion in the ring...

just as the ER doc and your surgeon have said, you most likely have nothing to worry about.  the clip itself will do no harm at all floating around in your abdomen, and the structures that it used to be holding are probably long past the healing stage.  those clips are placed to occlude the raw ends of the cystic duct and cystic artery when they are cut in the process of removing your gallbladder.  if your gallbladder surgery were more recent, there may be a concern that the duct or blood vessel that clip used to be closing would leak either blood or bile into your abdominal cavity.  at this point, however, those raw edges should be well healed and sealed without the need for a clip to physically hold the ends closed.  in the event that either of those structures does spring a leak, you'll develop more symptoms to tell you that something is wrong (worsening abdominal pain being the most likely), at which time you would need to undergo another surgery to fix the leak.  until that time, however, i wouldn't worry too much about it...nothing you can do at this point other than surgery, and it's not worth going under the knife again for something that is most likely benign.  just keep that clip tucked in the back of your mind if you do start to develop more symptoms and let any doctor you see know that it's there.

[Clay]

I used to work as a surgical tech and we saw stuff like this regularly.  Honestly, the surgery to open you to remove the clip likely would be riskier than just leaving the clip in place.  The risk of infection from abdominal surgery is something to be avoided when possible.  Plus, all the potential complications with anesthesia, etc..

[Clay]

That reminds me... once we were doing an inguinal hernia repair on a ~ 55yr old woman (sort of unusual).  Supposedly, she had her 'tubes tied' (fallopian tubes clipped) about 20 yrs earlier.  We discovered that the clips actually had been put on her round ligaments (which supports the uterus) instead of the tubes.  Yikes.  Basically, that means that while she thought she had been living the past 20 yrs with 'permanent' birth control, she actually had been living with none. 

[Isgrimnur]

hmm...i am one of the medical people around here, so i guess i'll throw my opinion in the ring...

Do you wear the Decepticon badge around your patients?  'Cause that would certainly give my the idea to ask for a different (whatever medical thing you are).   

[mytocles]

Yeah, ummm - what Disarm and Clay said!

I'm sure they're right, and my personal medical theory lately has settled on "don't panic until it's time to panic."  I do know I'd be at least a little bit creeped out knowing something was meandering around where it shouldn't be. Yikers! 

Do you wear the Decepticon badge around your patients?  'Cause that would certainly give my the idea to ask for a different (whatever medical thing you are). 

OH NO, Izzy - I think a Decapitation Badge would make people more nervous... oh, what? Decepticon? NVM, sry! 

Good luck, Papa, keep us posted. 

[disarm]

hmm...i am one of the medical people around here, so i guess i'll throw my opinion in the ring...

Do you wear the Decepticon badge around your patients?  'Cause that would certainly give my the idea to ask for a different (whatever medical thing you are).   

hmm...maybe i should work that into my badge somewhere just to see how many people notice
lots of people have stickers or photos of their kids on their ID...adding a little sticker wouldn't be a problem...

for what it's worth, i'm an anesthesiologist...not a surgeon, but i spend my working life watching them work

[jpinard]

Why did they use a plastic clip?  When I had my gall bladder surgery they went in a sewed everything like crazy.  But then again, that could be because my liver and pancrease are dying?

[papasmurff]

they are titanium not plastic.....

[PeteRock]

At least it's not a Junior Mint.

[Isgrimnur]

hmm...i am one of the medical people around here, so i guess i'll throw my opinion in the ring...

Do you wear the Decepticon badge around your patients?  'Cause that would certainly give my the idea to ask for a different (whatever medical thing you are).   

hmm...maybe i should work that into my badge somewhere just to see how many people notice
lots of people have stickers or photos of their kids on their ID...adding a little sticker wouldn't be a problem...

for what it's worth, i'm an anesthesiologist...not a surgeon, but i spend my working life watching them work

What was the old line?  You charge $1 to turn the gas on and the rest of your fee is to remember to turn it off?