WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for May, 2000: Re: Laparoscopy left me with shoulder pain too!

Re: Laparoscopy left me with shoulder pain too!

From: Lynn D. Montgomery, MD (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 31 May 2000 17:03:11 -0500 (CDT)

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At Wed, 31 May 2000, Wendy wrote: >
>Thanks for the info, Lynn. My doctor did tell me that the cyst broke
>while they were taking it out, and it apparently made quite a mess that
>they cleaned up best they could. They used saline to rinse me out and
>it was leaking like crazy out my belly button incision the day after. It
>sort of looked like watered down blood and it was soaking a gauze pad in
>30 seconds flat at one point. My poor husband was sick with worry. We
>went to doctors office thinking that I needed another stitch and that's
>when he told me that the cyst broke and they had to rinse me out with
>saline. So do you think the saline is irritating my diaphragm, which is
>causing shoulder pain? I also get shooting pain in my shoulder when I
>laugh or burp or sniffle, which seems very odd to me.
>At Wed, 31 May 2000, Lynn D. Montgomery, MD wrote:
>>
>>At Wed, 31 May 2000, Wendy wrote:
>>>
>>>Hello-
>>>I had a dermoid cyst removed laparoscopically last Tuesday (one week
>>>plus a day ago), and I have to say that the worst part of this whole lap
>>>business is the pain left by the gas they use to space out your inners.
>>>I was pretty well immobilized by the pain in my stomach, rib cage,
>>>collar bones, and shoulder blades. Man oh man, I felt like I'd been hit
>>>by a truck! It feels a little better each day, which is good because
>>>I've had about enough of the pain killers. (whole other batch of
>>>problem there). My only problem now is my right shoulder. It still
>>>hurts like a son-of-a-gun! Especially when I lie down, and forget about
>>>sleeping on my right side-which use to be my favorite sleeping position.
>>>It doesn't seem to be getting better. Is it possible that gas has been
>>>trapped in there because I'm right handed, and this is a very active
>>>area of my body? If so, how do I untrap it? I'm trying not to baby it
>>>because I'm hoping to work it out. Very tired of the pain though.
>>>Please let me know any suggestions to work out the last of the gas.
>>>
>>>--
>>>Wendy with the sore shoulder.
>>>
>>Wendy,
>>The pain in your shoulder is likely from irritation of your diaphragn
>>(dome at the top of your abdominal cavity). The nervous innervation of
>>the diaphragm results in pain being referred to the shoulder. This
>>irritation can result from gas placed in the abdomen at the time of the
>>procedure, but that is quite rapidly absorbed by your body. It can also
>>be irritated by blood or other substances within your abdominal cavity
>>as a result of the surgical procedure. If the pain does not improve, I
>>would contact your physician. It will likely resolve with time, but one
>>must be sure that something isn't chronically bleeding within your
>>abdomen as a result of the surgery...
>>Lynn
>
>>--
>>Lynn D. Montgomery, MD
>>Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
>>Rocky Mountain Perinatal Center
>>Missoula, Montana
>>
>>**Note: Opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only and, as such, do not constitute a physician-patient relationship. This information is not intended to supplant the need for you to consult with your physician prior to choosing therapeutic options and/or interventions.
>>
>>**Private e-mails cannot be entertained due to time constraints, consequently no private e-mails will receive a response.
>>
>>**Thank you for your understanding ;-)
>>
>--
>Wendy with the sore shoulder.
>

Wendy, That's my story and I'm sticking to it... I think that tincture of time will help take care of the pain. It makes even more sense given that the cyst ruptured during removal-it contains some yucky stuff. The contents of a dermoid can be extremely irritating to the abdominal lining-diaphragm... Lynn

--
Lynn D. Montgomery, MD
Director, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Rocky Mountain Perinatal Center
Missoula, Montana

**Note:  Opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only and, as such, do not constitute a physician-patient relationship.  This information is not intended to supplant the need for you to consult with your physician prior to choosing therapeutic options and/or interventions.

**Private e-mails cannot be entertained due to time constraints, consequently no private e-mails will receive a response.

**Thank you for your understanding ;-)

Next message: Lynn D. Montgomery, MD: "Re: BBT Temps"
Previous message: Lynn D. Montgomery, MD: "Re: HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE FOR 27 WEEKS--CHRONIC"
In reply to: Wendy: "Re: Laparoscopy left me with shoulder pain too!"
Next in thread: Claudia Twisdale RN: "Re: Laparoscopy left me with shoulder pain too!"

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