Post op removal of dermoid cyst and still pain and swelling.

[sibelhodge]

Hi I am 5 weeks after a laparoscopy and laparatomy to remove a 5cm dermoid cysts from my right ovary, and I still have a bulge band above the incision with hard lumps inside. The actual incision looks fine and flat, but above it is bulging, swollen, sore and hard. I am also naturally slim and it looks and feels peculiar on me. Is this normal as I was hoping this amount of time after surgery I would be back to normal.

[TrudieC]

I think you should get it checked out.  Usually all swelling is gone in 4 weeks and your description sounds like you may have an infection.  Good luck.

[sibelhodge]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I don't think it's infected.The bulge belly is above the laparatomy incision and seems to be puffed/swollen muscle with lumps under the skin which may be bruised muscle?? And it is still sore. I have been massaging and it is improving, but very very slowly and I didn't know if others had experienced this bulge and does it go down and become less sore eventually? My laparoscopy inscision did get infected, but is now healed.

[MarieMichele]

We have to deal with a crease for months following a laparotomy.  It is almost like an open book with the incision line beng the book binding.  There is a right side and a left side, with the scar/incision as a dividing line for a vertical cut (or a topside and a bottomside with the incision in between for a horizontal cut).  All around that it is tender to the touch for weeks, even months, and swollen.  There are also stitches inside that prevent the entire area from getting smooth for awhile until they fully dissolve and those internal incisions smooth out.

Eventually it does go down, becomes smooth (just a scar without it actually cutting us in half like some kind of dry river valley through our abdomen).  It doesn't go away in 5 weeks. Give it about 3 months or so.