Trapped Air

So, i Had my pm nearly 2 weeks ago and feel great. Had a mini thoracotomy just under my pectoral so have some bruising there but all is well. The only thing that is really hurting is that I have some trapped air resulting from the surgery. Its so obvious that it is that, plus my doctors and nurse say it is too. Problem is I want it out. Has anyone else had this ?

It moves around when i lie down to my back and hurts my rig when i breath, sat up its not so bad. Its so precise that If I had a needle I would know where it is to drain it, of course im not going to hehe.

GRRrrRR

3 Comments

Been there...

by golden_snitch - 2011-07-18 01:07:37

Hey!
I've had a left-lateral mini-thoracotomy to place epicardial pacer leads and ended up with a little pleural effusion and, what was by far much more uncomfortable, a so-called subcuteaneous emphysema which means air trapped under the skin at the surgery site. It took nearly two weeks to disappear. I remember I was very uncomfortable especially when breathing in or when coughing. But the air found its way out. It wen through the skin, and you could actually feel little bubbles under the skin. For the pleural effusion I got some kind of medication, I think diuretics.
Have you had it checked by x-ray and ultrasound? In my case you could see the air bubbles on the x-ray, and the pleural effusion in the ultrasound.
Best wishes
Inga

air or fluid?

by Tracey_E - 2011-07-18 07:07:39

I had fluid build up after one of my replacements. A heating pad on low several times took care of it.

air or fluid?

by iwkya - 2011-07-18 08:07:01

Thats a good question. When I breath I get a weird bubbly crackly feeling, hard to describe. The pm site is fine, I suspect it was left when they took the drain out after the thoracotomy (big wound under my pectoral). I remeber the pain when the drain was in was similar. I suppose it could be fluid that wasn't drained. Ill try the heat pad. thanks.

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