Surgical error??

[Lyssamotherof3]

I had umbilical hernia repair via keyhole surgery on august 31 of 2010. Blue prolene sutures were used to close the incisions.(the hernia was no bigger than the size of an eraser on a pencil,and did not require mesh) I have been thru countless test for the stabbing from the stitches. No-one will acknowledge this was a mistake even though the surgeon said they would dissolve. After obtaining my surgery report I confirmed they are indeed non dissolvable ...I need them removed but can't find anyone who is willing to get involved:( any advice???  I have in addition to this been dealing with gallbladder symptoms for almost a year. Recently these problems are becoming unbearable. My bloodwork comes back okay with the exception of anemia and slightly elevated glucose. My gyno says he's 100% sure it's GI. For the past 3 weeks my throat feels light it's being constricted,an ER dr put me on prilosec and said it's acid coming up into my throat. I have had CT scan w contrast that only showed a ruptured ovarian cyst on L side, a colonoscopy and endoscopy w biopsies of both according to dr are normal. I am 31yrs old and otherwise healthy 120 lbs and 5'3. I had tubal ligation in 2007 and umbilical hernia repair 1yr ago . Thanks for reading,any suggestions are appreciated.

[ggreg]

When an ovarian cyst ruptures, it puts fluid in the abdominal cavity and needs to be treated by antibiotics.  Also, anybody who has ovarian cysts needs to be watched for more cysts, etc.  It's just another issue that might or might not be connected to your abdominal problems in general, and also since you mentioned it as part of your history, I just felt I needed to respond in my original post.  Glad you'll be seeing a new gastro!

[Lyssamotherof3]

Thank you for you insight! I'm in the process of taking this to a gastro out of the area where it was done. Im not sure what you meant by hoping my ovaries were taken care of? Nothing was done to remedy it. I was told to just stay off my feet for a day or two... In any case I'm more concerned with the other issue. Without the prilosec the acids are unbearable. The surgeon who did this is out of the question because they refuse to even acknowledge there's a prob, which of corse they were made aware of my abdominal pain from the start. I'm sure you are probably right about the anemia since one of the stitches poked thru my belly button this past aug:( it just bled and hurt. Wish me luck with the gastro! Thanks again for your time!

[ggreg]

If you had the colonoscopy POST umbilical hernia surgery, and it was clear, at least you know your bowel isn't ruptured!  Since you have pain where the stitches are, and you have proof they did not use dissolvable stitches, AND no one will touch the situation, you can most certainly take this up with the people who did the operation, that doc could remove the stitches probably as an outpatient in his office, depending on what else might be going on in that spot.  It also sounds to me like if the stitches are indeed goofed up and creating problems under the skin layer, gee whiz, you could have a heck of an infection going on there, which when you said anemia, that's what I thought, and perhaps you might be bleeding in that spot.

If you do not wish to return to the same surgeon, you can go to a gastro group practice where they have gastroenterologist surgeons, and ask them to check that place for you, and of course bring the record about the stitches.  But if it's as you say, that you've been that route and nobody wants to deal with it, really an ordinary internal medicine group I'm sure would be perfectly willing to have a look-see and they can then tell you what's going on and they can refer you to someone they KNOW will take you if it's necessary.  Internal Medicine people are a lot like Family Doctors, but they really are excellent diagnosticians and the best alternative to heading back to your regular doc who may not have been too cooperative, if that's the case.  

Now, when you say gallbladder problems, if this is not a diagnosed condition, but rather the location of some discomfort, this too could be related to your hernia surgical site!  But since you should go to a gastro, they can certainly check out your gallbladder, too, by means of ultrasound, a very easy office procedure, noninvasive.  However, if you have indeed been diagnosed with, say, gallstones or some other deal that is routinely checked, well, that is yet another possibility of a doc to see about the hernia thing.  Of course, if it's that gastro doc, then just drag the whole thing to Internal Medicine people.

Obviously I hope your ovary was taken care of.  As for the acid in your tummy, that's why your throat is bothering you.  The acid bubbles up and "acid" burns, of course.  One way to get that under control, whilst continuing your Prilosec, is to try eating 100 percent whole wheat toast in the morning or evening, drink it down with Acidophilus milk (good for the guts), and the fiber in the bread will "soak up" the acid, and "probiotics" in the milk will help your digestion work better in general.  And if your digestion tends to stop up, drink extra water, and if you happen to take any other medicine besides the tummy meds, have prescribing doc review side effects, to make sure that isn't creating constipation, if you have it.

I had to roll it all out for you, since I don't know details nor do I need to, so that whatever your situation is, you can better know which direction to go.