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I Went To The Er This Past Wednesday For A

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Posted on Tue, 28 May 2019
Question: i went to the er this past wednesday for a hard painful lump under my right armpit. doctor diagnosed me with an abscess and said it had to be drained. he then had a student perform the procedure unsupervised. she made the first incision and nothing but blood came out, she cut into the same spot again just deeper again only blood, then once again with the same outcome. i then asked her to ask the doctor if this was ok, doctor said it was fine its a 50/50 chance it may only be blood.he never checked the incision to see that it was pretty deep. i was then told they were not going to pack it or drain it they would leave it open to let the abscess drain on its own. so i was sent home with 30 pieces of gauze (no lie) taped on. in my less than 2 min drive home i was soaked in blood. it was pouring out so much i couldnt stop it. i finally was able to duct tape gauze on, that worked for 5 min. to make a long story short i had to be rushed to hospital because of the amount of blood i was loosing i went to a different hospital this time. she applied clotting powder it did not slow it down i had to get 3 stitches. it was still coming out with the stitches but eventually stopped. she said to come back in 2-3 days to have stitches removed and abscess to be lanced again. i had seen my family doctor yesteday and she said to keep stitches in for atleast a week. now my question is does an abscess ever only just have blood or was i misdiagnosed? also the last day i have been having a lot of drainage through stitches only blood because the abscess has not gotten any smaller, is that the abscess or maybe just a blood clot coming through behind stitches. im terrified to go back to hospital. i will attach before after and now photos
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hari Charan Perigela (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
It could be an Enlarged Axillary Lymph node

Detailed Answer:
Hi
I saw the pics.
It did not look like an Abscess for me.It could be an Enlarged Axillary Lymph node.Next possibility is evolving Abscess
If I think of an Abscess,I will try to Aspirate from the Swelling first .If pus comes,then I will give a Incision and drain the pus.
In your case, blood vessels are cut leading to Blood loss from the wound.
We have to remove the stiches after 1 week.
I prefer an Ultrasound of the swelling or Axillary area which gives a clue .If pus is confirmed, Incision can be given under Ultrasound guidance.
Apply pressure dressing.
Please have Coagulation tests
Hope you are not taking any medicines like Anticoagulant for heart disease.
Nothing to worry.
Please consult your doctor and get an Ultrasound and proceed further.
Hope I answered your query If you have any questions,I will clarify further.
Wish you good health.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Hari Charan Perigela (3 days later)
Hi I don%E2%80%99t think it was an abscess either. Today is day 6 and I have an appointment with my family doctor to get stitches out in the morning. The last few days I have been changing my bandages more frequently and the lump was still there not as large as it was when I first went in. So tonight I decided to massage it to see what would happen by tomorrow because my stitches were bulging. Every time I would press it, jt looked like something solid was trying to push through. So I pushed again and this thing popped out. It%E2%80%99s soft but firm, I really can%E2%80%99t explain what it could be but it%E2%80%99s a solid piece. I will attach photo
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hari Charan Perigela (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
It looks like Haematoma

Detailed Answer:
Hi
I saw the pictures.It looks like Haematoma (collection of blood)
Keep pressure dressing.
Exact Diagnosis will be known after Histopathological examination only.Pleasr send the Specimen to Pathology lab.
Nothing to worry
Wish you good health and speedy recovery
Regards
Note: For further inquiries on surgery procedure and its risks or complications book an appointment now

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Hari Charan Perigela

General Surgeon

Practicing since :1995

Answered : 2717 Questions

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I Went To The Er This Past Wednesday For A

Brief Answer: It could be an Enlarged Axillary Lymph node Detailed Answer: Hi I saw the pics. It did not look like an Abscess for me.It could be an Enlarged Axillary Lymph node.Next possibility is evolving Abscess If I think of an Abscess,I will try to Aspirate from the Swelling first .If pus comes,then I will give a Incision and drain the pus. In your case, blood vessels are cut leading to Blood loss from the wound. We have to remove the stiches after 1 week. I prefer an Ultrasound of the swelling or Axillary area which gives a clue .If pus is confirmed, Incision can be given under Ultrasound guidance. Apply pressure dressing. Please have Coagulation tests Hope you are not taking any medicines like Anticoagulant for heart disease. Nothing to worry. Please consult your doctor and get an Ultrasound and proceed further. Hope I answered your query If you have any questions,I will clarify further. Wish you good health. Regards