Second Hematoma?

[HyperFerret]

Just last week I took my cat in for an ear hematoma.  The vet made a 2 inch incision and removed a blood clot and drained the fluid.  Then he closed it up by "curling the skin back into the cartilage" and sutures.  Note: Again he used the sutures that do not dissolve on their own.  (He always uses sutures that need to be later removed - for any situation.)  Why is that?  (I'll be asking him too when I see him today.)

Well all seemed fine and dandy, healing slowly ... but healing.  Again it's only been a little less than a week since the surgery.  Now, however, his ear is swollen again - all around the sutures.  Seems like, this time, the back of his ear is swollen.  I can tell his ear is bothering him and when he shakes his head I can hear ... liquid, maybe.  (Not sure how to describe it.)  Plus his ear feels warmer than normal to the touch.

Is this a second hematoma?  Is this common?  Is there/was there a way to prevent this?  I'm taking him back to the vet today but I was looking for a second opinion.  I will appreciate any thing you may have to offer.  

Thank you.

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Answer continued...

The answer above posted before I had a chance to edit it.  Sorry about that!

And sorry if it is hard to understand.  Please post again with questions.  Thanks!

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

It is extremely common for cats to get aural hematoma's over and over again if the inciting problem is not controlled.  Inciting problems can be food or environmental allergies causing susceptibility to yeast or bacterial ear infections, ear mites, and less commonly,  ear foreign bodies.

If the inciting cause cannot be determined it would be best to stop the itching and pain using Prednisolone or other steroids antihistamines, topical ear medication.  If there is a liquidy sound in your cats ear it may be pus.  A culture and sensitivity should be performed on the discharge and appropriate oral and ear antibiotics given.  Replacement of the sutures after draining the pinna should also be performed.  Steroids are necessary to minimize shaking of the head, or ears and scratching, or the hematoma will never heal!  

Non absorbable sutures may have been used since even absorbable sutures would have to be removed before they become absorbed in the ear, since the ear is so thin and has so few layers than absorbable sutures would never become absorbed even if left in the 6 weeks to 2 months that it takes the body to absorb them.