Gas Story -True or False?

Hi Girls~

Is this True or False?

I've been hearing all kinds of stories regarding the Hysterectomy I will be having on the 8th of July. The oddest one was told to me by a friend that had her gallbladder removed two years ago. She explained to me the process of air being pumped into the incision to help expand the abdomen. What concerns me is the way it comes back out! She told me it does not come out through the stomach or intestines (because it's not inserted into those body parts). She told me it comes out of your skin. She claims "her wind" came out of the skin in her shoulders. That is where it was most painful for her because the air settled in that part of the body.

I have never, ever heard of gas coming out of a person's skin. I should have asked her what kind of noise it makes. Please tell me her memory has been deeply fogged due to pain meds.

Thank you~

I was told it dissolves. But it can go to your shoulders and be very painful. I had more pain after my gallbladder was removed that i did after the hyster.
Sandy

The air doesn't actually come out of your skin, but you can develop pain in your shoulders from gas. That's not just after surgery, I've had gas pains in my shoulder blades in the past before I ever had surgery.

I found the first two days after I was home from the hospital that I had terrible pain in my shoulder blades, I knew immediately it was caused by gas. Taking walks and using Phazym helped me to get rid of the gas pains.

I had post-op residual air from my LAVH. I actually went to the ER because of my symptoms and the fact that I had a DVT before. I was feeling pain in my right side and it hurt to take a breath. They did an x-ray and found out that I had the "air" still in there. Because of gravity it was trying to go up. I asked how the air was going to get out of my body and I was told the body would absorb it.

After doing some serious lying around for the next two days, I felt tremendously better!

Colleen
LAVH on May 25, 2004- One Ovary Left!

I was also told the body would absorb any excess of gas and because the gas expands things somewhat it pushes upward and their could be some pain in the shoulders, which fortunately I didn't experience.

I also had "gas" pain in my shoulders. That type of post-op "gas" pain is very common and it has nothing to do with your digestive system, which is why taking Gas-X and Phazyme simply doesn't work. Simethicone, the active ingredient in those products, can only relieve digestive gas in the bowel, not air trapped after surgery. Your body will rid itself of air trapped in you abdominal cavity, but not thru your skin! Walking helps as it improves circulation, which is what gets this air out, along with other waste...thru your lungs.

The shoulder pain is because the air gets trapped under your diaphragm (The muscle separating your abdominal cavity from your chest cavity). There is a nerve there that when it is stimulated it causes pain in your shoulder, even though the air is nowhere near your shoulder! This is called referred pain. I had it especially after my 2nd lap. The air will reabsorb after a few days. I found it easier to sit in a semi-upright position (like in a recliner), and my shoulder didn't hurt as much!

I experienced shoulder pain after the removal of my thyroid five years ago. The gas doesn't make any noise -- you simply feel referred pain up there. It feels like a sideache, sort of, and it goes away after a couple of days.

I've experienced the shoulder pain after all of my laps. What helped me was to sit up with several pillows behind my upper back and shoulders, and to keep a heating pad on the shoulders. It usually goes away after a day or two.