Hematoma after Surgery

Hematoma after surgery or postoperative hematoma is basically a localized collection of blood in the surgery site. It develops just a few hours after the surgery, due to some kind of damage to the surrounding blood vessels or as a result of poor aftercare of the patient. Some of the common examples include episiotomy (a surgical incision of vagina during childbirth), c-section surgery, cholecystectomy (a surgical removal of gallbladder), abdominoplasty (a cosmetic surgery of the abdomen to remove wrinkles and tighten the skin over the stomach), a breast augmentation, a facelift surgery or even a dental surgery.

The condition is usually characterized by pain or a feeling of fullness in the affected area, along with the overlying skin turning blue or purple. In mild cases, the bleeding is minimal, and stops or reabsorbs on its own, like the natural blood clotting mechanism. However, in severe cases, the hematoma gets large enough to compress the tissues and prevent oxygen from reaching the skin, resulting in the eventual dying of skin. This may further increase the risks of having other complications like infection, wound separation and necrosis (the localized death of living cells).

Causes

One of the major cause for hematoma after surgery is a kind of mishap at the time of the surgery. Usually before completing an operation or surgery, surgeons ensure that all blood vessels are closed before they close the incision. This is primarily done by cauterizing the blood vessels with an electric current to form a clot. Sometime, this clot falls off, making the blood vessels to bleed and then forming a sac of blood in the post surgical site and its surrounding tissues.

Besides this, the intake of drugs or medications like aspirin and a variety of non prescription blood thinners and intraoperative administration of heparin before conducting the surgery can also increase the risks of hematoma after surgery. Hence, most doctors advise their patients to avoid consumption of such medications two to three weeks before the surgery in order to avoid the possibilities of having hematoma. Another factor that may contribute to such condition are bleeding disorders and hypertension. Hence, anything that may increase the blood pressure and heart rate like exercise, straining, vomiting, stress, alcohol, etc. should be avoided, as all these factors can trigger the chances of getting hematoma.

Treatment

Treatment usually depends upon the severity of the condition. For example, in mild cases, the hematoma dissolves automatically after a couple of days. However in severe cases, wherein the hematoma enlarges, a surgery would be conducted in order to re-open the wound, drain out the accumulated blood and clamp down the blood vessels, in case, the bleeding still persists. Some analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs or medications like ibuprofen (Motrin) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be considered in order to relief the pain or discomfort. Some additional blood thinning medications can also be given to the patient in order to dilute the blood clot.

For bruises or contusions, one can also try some home remedies for treating hematoma, like applying ice or cold packs a few times a day or applying gentle heat with warm towels, a hot water bottle, or a heating pad on the affected area in order to decrease the hemorrhage (bleeding) and edema (swelling). However, if there is no change in the condition do not hesitate and instantly consult the doctor to elucidate the case.