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

I think you need to be physically examined, if that’s not an option with your private provider then you need to seek NHS care.

I agree that it sounds like nerve pain and there are medications that specifically target nerve pain so it’s worth pursuing. It’s not necessarily the best course to just increase your current pain relief.

Could actually burst into tears!

the new cocodamol has definitely helped (the actual surgical site itself was a bit achey but not too bad but since taking it it’s basically non existent) but the actual head pain I was talking about on this post hasn’t changed at all with the cocodamol. I don’t think there’s any change it’s infected (can’t remember if I already mentioned it but I’ve been taking antibiotics since the surgery) and there’s no signs it’s infected it’s just this awful pain. I don’t think it’s bad enough to need a&e tonight but I’m going to go to the GP tomorrow morning and I’ll go to a&e if it gets worse overnight. I could burst into tears, it’s such a horrible pain and I just want some relief from it

Aw sorry to hear that OP. Feel better soon xx

Thank you very much xx

Hard question I know but does anyone know what i can expect to happen tomorrow at the GP? Will they change the antibiotics or painkillers or are they more likely to tell me to give it longer to see if the new painkillers from today work over the weekend? (Just so I have a rough idea of what to expect tomorrow) xx

Is there any way you can get in touch with the hospital where you had it done? I feel like they would be more helpful than the GP

OP there are people who have cosmetic surgery abroad and need NHS to sort out any problems once they return home so don't feel bad for going to A&E it does sound like nerve damage so just get yourself checked out.

if you are going to go to A&E pick one that has plastic surgery. Most hospitals don’t. For example only one hospital does in greater Manchester. Google which one does. Then you can see the plastics reg rather than a general surgery reg. I’m a doctor (not a surgeon).

Don't worry about it being private and need to use nhs, private do not have emergency care/A & E we frequently get patients transferred from private hospitals if things go wrong or post op complications.
If your doctor feels that it is nerve pain, which sounds like it might be as the pain is not at the operation site, there are different medications that could work better such as amitriptyline. I once had a nerve trapped in my wrist and the pain presented half way up my forearm. Try your GP as soon as you can.

What did the post op advice say? I had a boob job years ago and there were a lot of things that would have made me panic if they hadn't told me it was normal. The worst one was the feeling when I finally took my sports bra off to shower. It genuinely felt like my boobs were going to fall out from the bottom, I had to hold them until my boyfriend got the bra back on. I also had sharp shooting pains which were the nerve endings trying to reattach and recover.

I would recommend going to A&E please.

They would rather you go than stay at home in agony or with potential post op complications.

It does sound like nerve pain which even high strength pain killers won't touch.

Is it an option to go back to the place that operated? Do they have a good reputation for post surgical care?
I know the owner of The Consultant Clinic had surgery to move her hairline and also supports people who have issues from other companies post operatively.
She's very responsive on Instagram.

I am sure people go to A&E for things much less minor than this. Definitely go in and don’t overthink it!

If you've goy a complication from am operation you're best to go where your surgeon works. If it's not life threatening (doesn't sound like it) seek surgeon out tomorrow.

Your best bet is to contact wherever you had it done again tomorrow as I would imagine that is what your GP will say unless he/ she is a plastic surgery expert . A&E would be a better call than the GP as they may be able to get hold of a plastics specialist .

Oh you poor love, this sounds horrendous :( I expect they'll want to examine your wounds tomorrow, but you may need to insist on stronger painkillers, or something for the nervous system (lorazepam and diazepam have worked for me in the past if you want names to ask for, they help interrupt pain signals). Don't be too alarmed about the referred pain - you will have been pulled and clamped and pushed and all sorts during surgery. After my tonsillectomy, my worst pain was my tongue and the corners of my mouth - my throat was the least painful area and that was the wound site! After my c section I was given cocodamol and it honestly didn't touch the sides. If you can get to a pharmacy then ask for the ibuprofen x codeine tablets (neurofen do them but there are also own brands available) - they're behind the counter so you need to ask for them and they took the edge off for me when not much else did. Hope you manage to get some sleep x

It's reasonable to attend A&E because of excruciating pain. It doesn't matter how or why the pain has come about.

As others have said, it sounds like nerve pain, so maybe something like gabapentin or pregabalin would help.

I work in a GP surgery, I suspect youd be checked for immediately life threatening complications, then advised to return to the provider whom oerformed the surgery for face to face after care.

It's quite routine for people to attend expecting continuity of care for surgery abroad/non-NHS but we're just not insured to do so so dont. If it's immediately life-threatening that's different hence why patients are transferred to NHS in some instances but for post op complications/review it's really the team whom performed the surgery who needs to be involved.

@Vanillacheesecake1 why aren't you going back to the place you got this done and asking for an examination? Surely it would make most sense for the expert who did the surgery to look at the wound? I worry that a GP may have literally no experience in seeing this type of surgery ?

Op said it's in another part of the country to where she lives.

I think you need to go OP, the pain sounds awful and doesn't seem to be resolving. Hope you're sorted very soon.

I agree with people suggesting it could be nerve pain / neuropathy as the strange sensations really play tricks with the mind and it can be part of the healing process in my experience - I had nerves cut through in my neck in a surgery which then affected side of face.

But to feel reassured, definitely get checked out and especially if there's any question of a fever or infection.

Bless you OP. No idea what the gp will say tbh. But hopefully they will look you over. They might be able to give you a different pain meds for nerve pain too. Hopefully they can reassure you because I know it sounds mad, but sometimes a bit of reassuring lowers the stress and that can lower the pain as you might have become tense too from laying funny. Then that can add to the pain. Sometimes a nerve just needs a break from sending a pain signal. But I'm no expert. I have had pain in my scalp. I think a nerve had got stuck on sending pain for no real reason. Weird migraine thing.

Not sure if this is at all related or changes things at all but I’ve just realised I’ve had a massive psoriasis outbreak too which is definitely infected. I noticed it had flared up suddenly last night and tonight I’ve looked at it when I lifted the bandages and it’s definitely infected. Unfortunately I have bad psoriasis on my scalp and ears which infects a lot (4x courses of antibiotics this year already for it) so that itself isn’t new but I’ve just realised it’s so close to the surgical site - it’s all around the folds of my ears and up my temples and extending towards the surgical wound (which itself doesn’t look infected yet) maybe I’m wrong but I’m wondering if maybe there is an infection there? Ahh, I honestly could burst into tears with it all.

Pack yourself a little bag of supplies and a cushion and go to A&E. It will only get busier there over the weekend. You're post-surgery, and I think that warrants a visit.