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

Glad if it's sorted OP x

What a relief! I'm so pleased for you! Hopefully you can rest easy now and enjoy your nice clean hair tomorrow! Thank goodness it wasn't anything more serious.

Thanks for reporting back, you know you don't have to, but it's always nice to get an update!

Pleased you're sorted and thankfully nothing serious although you've been in so much pain.
Enjoy your first hair wash!

Really pleased to hear you’ve been checked over and are more comfortable.

When my DH broke his leg he was in such excruciating pain post surgery. Pain that seemed abnormal post surgery - screaming and crying. When the surgeon came round he took off the leg brace and said it was pressing too tightly on the wound. He had instant relief.

You absolutely could not have known that was it, but what a relief its over and that's all it was!

glad you’re all sorted and very pleased for you that it was a simple fix.

That’s the best outcome and the one that the clinicians were probably hoping for. I understand why you’re relieved you didn’t go to A&E but you still would have been justified in going. The whole point is that you don’t know what symptom could be a red flag for something serious or something completely benign until it’s properly assessed.

For example - trapped wind can be utterly excruciating but there’s no way for a patient to tell that apart from appendicitis, an ulcer moments from rupturing, a twisted ovary etc. without proper medical assessment. Clinicians are generally relieved themselves when a symptom turns out to be something they can deal with easily!

Great update, so pleased for you.

How are you now? Is the result good?