Should I go to a&e with this? Am I a timewaster?

[Vanillacheesecake1]

Hi, genuinely cannot think straight and can’t tell if I should go to a&e or wait for the gp in the morning

basically I had plastic surgery on the skin at the top face 3 days ago. I had all the normal post surgery pain and tightness and I’ve to wear a compression bandage around my forehead which isn’t particularly comfortable either. But all within the expected amount for after surgery. My post op aftercares were all fine and they said the pain/tightness was normal

but tonight it’s taken a different turn and there’s no out of hours number for the private surgery company to ask. I’ve got a sharp pain at the right side top of my head/scalp (about 3 inches above the area of surgery). It’s excruciating and worse when I move my head especially turning it to the right. But weirdly, as a result of the surgery, I have absolutely no sensation in the top of my scalp at all (I knew this was an after effect of it for up to 6 months) but it’s weird because the area that’s sore is the area that I have no sensation in. Like I can touch the area and am not aware I’m even touching it, but yet I can feel an excruciating pain so I don’t know how that works. I also keep getting a really weird sensation like a cold dribble feeling as if it’s spurting blood and it’s dribbling down my head but there’s absolutely nothing. I can tolerate that but the pain is getting worse and it feels totally different to the other pain/tightness I’ve had which was normal. It started 2 hours ago, cocodomol isn’t helping it at all whereas it was helping the other normal post surgery pain but that all felt sort of achey whereas this is like a sharp stabbing pain.

I can just about get myself positioned in a way that it doesn’t hurt but I had a short nap and I woke up and it still wasn’t better. It’s not particularly swollen or red or hot and I’ve been taking antibiotics after the surgery but I’m just worried about the pain. As I’m typing I’ve got myself into that position that it doesn’t hurt too much but as soon as I move it’s like there’s a knife through my head.

would I be unreasonable to go to A&E for this when I’m otherwise fine? I just don’t know if this pain is normal post op but they don’t have an out of hours number to call and ask and I’m worried about it getting worse and no painkillers is helping it. But since it’s a private surgery, if it is something wrong it’s my own fault for getting the surgery and not a true accident or emergency so not sure if it’s ok to go to A&E for this? I don’t want to be a timewaster but it’s really, really sore. Or is this the kind of thing that you power through and call the private surgery number in the morning and maybe see the GP if necessary in the morning?

sorry, I’m absolutely exhausted after the last few days and can’t think straight so any help would be appreciated x

Hope you are ok @Vanillacheesecake1 and safe and sound (with manageable pain!) at home.

Any potential post op complication is a reason to go to A&E. If it is something that can wait to contact/see your usual provider they will tell you, but best they assess this.

I hope you're OK, op.

Didn’t your private practice provide contact details for emergencies and the protocols? That’s bad if they didn’t. During your consultation or aftercare, they should have gone over with you what is normal and what is concerning, and what you should use their out of hours/emergency number for vs what you should go straight to A&E for. So that if anything happens, you are informed about what your options are

There’s no problem seeking NHS support if private or elective care goes wrong btw. No one here can say whether it’s ”A&E worthy” or not as we’re not in your shoes or experiencing your pain. I think if you’re really concerned you should also let the practice that operated on you know what’s going on too. The NHS will have your best interests at heart, but your private practice might have more expertise in the surgery they completed and hopefully be able to also give you some support too. Get as much help as you can.

How are you?

I'm pretty shocked the private clinic didn't give you an emergency out of hours number for after an operation. I had a private op a fewyears ago and they stressed I should call any time if I was worried about anything !
Anyway hope you sorted yourself but definitely ask them for some emergency contacts in case you have more concerns

Nerve damage in your face does cause some freaky affects on your scalp. I fell and cut my forehead it was full thickness and I have a numb section on my scalp because I damaged the nerve. When it was trying to heal i got some freaky pains like cramp? and it twiched a couple of times and it was like I could feel it trying to grow back together it was the oddest thing. I would wait till morning and ring your plastic surgeons office in my experience the A&E won't be that helpful and you'll just wait hours still in pain but also uncomfortable

So the pain ended his easing off slightly after I made my last post, and I got myself into a position that stopped it hurting and accidentally fell asleep! I woke up at 6am however and it was throbbing again, but by that point I figured I only had a few hours until the aftercare number opens at 9 so I may aswell just wait by that point because I’ll be waiting a few hours in a&e. The only thing is I won’t be able to physically get back to the private place (it was in a different part of the uk and I travelled for the op) so I’m hoping they can do an appointment or issue a prescription remotely but I’m wondering if they’ll say to go to my own NHS GP tbh. I’ll update once I know at 9 x

And don't beat yourself up about having an op that wasn't a 'lifesaving' op. Plenty of people have ops to enhance their quality of life and improve their mental health. Fingers crossed for you.

Good news- I’ve spoken to the aftercare team who are going to speak to the doctor who did my surgery and ask him what to do. He’s in surgery right now so it won’t be for a little while but I’ll hear back soon whether to go to the GP or if they can prescribe me something. Only issue is by then I’ll have missed the appointments for today with the GP so if that’s the case I’ll have to go tomorrow. Ahh, so stressful. I’m lying at 45 degrees with my head in a certain position and it’s just about bearable but as soon as I move it feels like I’ve got a pole through my head x

Thank you so much, I think I really needed to hear this, thank you x

Agree, don't feel bad about going to A&E if you need to. I hope you can get it sorted without though, it's horrible waiting on those hard chairs for hours and hours when you are in pain!

They got back already! They’re going to prescribe stronger painkillers for me, so they’ve emailed me a prescription for it. Hoping that takes the edge off the pain x

Depending on where you live, there could be a drop in GP or hub if you call 111. Hopefully you can get some more advice from the surgeon anyway.

@Vanillacheesecake1 Great just saw your update! Good luck with your recovery x

Just for information. The surgical team see patients via A&E. When you are triaged, they buzz surgical to come and have a look.

I'm glad they're prescribing you stronger pain killers but did they say whether this pain is 'normal', or what's potentially causing it?
Hope you feel better soon

No, they didn’t say. I feel physically sick with the pain so I’m really hoping the painkillers lift it soon. I’m not usually weak with pain but this is awful and I’m absolutely going to vomit with it it’s that bad, I can tell. they’ve sent me a prescription for stronger cocodamol so going to try and get into a comfy position and hope it helps quickly. X

Don't be worried to seek further medical advice if it's too much. Only you know how you feel. I think I would prefer someone to actually have a look at me with their own eyes. Can you see what's happening under the bandages?

Whatever happens op, this will all be a distant memory one day, and hopefully you will be pleased with the result.

Have you checked if you have a fever? Please don't be afraid to go to A&E if you don't feel well.

It’s good you have stronger painkillers OP but I think you need to know this amount of pain is usual after the surgery you’ve had. If this is normal ok but you don’t want any complications or infection to be missed and just masked with strong codeine.

Yes, I’m slightly concerned by the ‘stronger painkillers’ solution without actually talking through with you what might be causing the pain. Hopefully this was a reputable place that did the op and they know what they’re doing!

Oh god i really hope it’s not something bad. I’ve been given cocodamol 30mg/500mg which I think is a much stronger dose than the over the counter ones I was taking before. I can’t really tell if I have a fever because my ears are artificially warm from the big wraparound bandage so it reads that I have a fever but that’s obviously affecting the results! I don’t feel feverish I just feel so sick and tired with the pain x

Yeah I’ve had a look under the bandages and there’s nothing obviously wrong and it doesn’t look infected, it’s weird because the pain I’m getting is in the top of my scalp above the actual wound and it looks like totally normal scalp it’s just absolutely agony, it honestly feels like I’ve got a pole sticking through it!

I'd go and get seen. You've had surgery and need to be checked. Were you advised that you'd feel this level of pain?