Major complication

I don’t want to scare anyone, but I had a major complication after surgery. I was hoping to have laproscopic removal of my fibroid, but my doctor said it was possible I may end up with an incision and I did. I had a subcervical hysterectomy with BSO. On my first day post-op my doctor told me the position of the fibroid made my surgery was one of the most difficult surgeries he’s ever done. I was scheduled to go home on the second day post-op but woke up early morning with a pulse of 132 and increasing pain. My IV was reinserted, “wide open,” and blood was started. I was rushed to CAT scan. I hemorrhaged into my pelvis in the exact area where the fibroid was removed. The fibroid was 10cm x 8cm x 8cm; the hemorrhaged blood clot was 12cm x 10cm x 10cm. My hemoglobin at admission was 15 and dropped to 7. I was given four units of blood and placed on bed rest for two days in a step-down ICU. After returning to my original room, I was again scheduled to go home the next day but developed a fever over 101 degrees. I was tested for a DVT, blood and urine cultures. After being on stronger IV antibiotics for 24 hours, my temperature came down. I was able to come home on the 6th day post-op on antibiotics. It’s been three weeks today that I hemorrhaged. I’m taking it VERY easy at home, with good and bad days.

Oh my gosh, what an ordeal. Yes do take it easy. Just hibernate like a bear, and wait for spring. I'm just curious about a couple of things. In other stories of internal hemorrhages that I've read on these boards, the hemorrhage was due to a nicked vein or a popped stitch and they had to go back in to stop it with sutures. What caused this hemorrage and did it just stop on it's own? Do you know what kind of infection you had?

The exact cause wasn't really discussed but it was assumed that a blood vessel in the pelvis ruptured. They never take you back to surgery to try and find the vessel. The surgery is very risky because of the amount of blood involved and locating which vessel is bleeding would be almost impossible. Instead, they give fluids and blood, until the vessel clots itself off. The hemorrhaged blood clot, inself, pushes against the bleeding vessel helping it to clot off. The dopplar for DVT was negative and the blood and urine cultures didn't indicate an infection. It's very possible that the dissolving blood clot caused the fever but you want to do the tests to rule out the other problems.

How do you know when the pain you are feeling requires medical attention? I am four months post op after an abdominal hysterectomy, which included taking the cervix. I am still having quite a bit of left sided pain - also had a large fibroid 9cm x 9cm x 9cm on my left side.

tdecker, I had an acute situation where my pulse suddenly increased and I was unable to sit still in bed because of the pain. I would speak to your doctor about your pain but I wouldn't worry that you are hemorrhaging.

Emptynester I'm so glad you were still in the hospital when the complication arose. It would have been horrible to have that happen in the middle of the night at home. Let's hope that was your only complication and you will be a new healthy woman now.

jandybee, I'm sooo happy that it happened in the hospital. My blood pressure didn't drop but it would have and I would have went into shock if the IV's and blood weren't started soon. I would have been in the ER etc., etc. I'm going to stop there because it didn't happen. I'm just glad this is a situation that shouldn't have long term issues. I'm thankful that I don't have cancer. I'm just putting things into perspective.

emptynester,
Beware! Read this very carefully. I too went home after 5 days in hopital and was back the very next day with 104 temp. they gave me large doses of antibiotics and i also had a hemoglobin problem and 6.2 and had to have blood. also a pulmonary edema and such. anyway, i went home with a wound vac (they had to reopen my incision to heal from the inside out. it is still not closed....surg 12-06). new years day i was very sick and it came on quick. i had low grade fever and open pus pockets all over my stomach and and wound. i developed a very deep abcess in my wound. i had a very serious staph infection that was undiagnosed when i went back into the hospital after being released. it took that long to show itself again and when it did it did it was ugly. staph has to be diagnosed through blood tests. it wont respond to normal antibiotics. it is a bacterial virus that travels in your blood stream. it attacked my joints and spine. i couldnt even walk. the pain was unbearable. upon researching about it after i got it, i discovered that a lot of people lose their limbs due to this very serious infection. be very very careful and ask your dr imm. if a test was done to check on it. if not i would ask about it. the name for the staph i had was called MRSA (pronounced mersa) It is silent and deadly.
I am sorry for all your problems and pain. Good luck!