Expert: JM Starkman, MD - 5/21/2009

Question
Dear Expert's
 I had a implant exchange,and small lypo procedure around the belly button.Aproximately 10cc's
 I had twilight sleep,and awoke during surgery.
 I screamed in pain,and I remember there whole conversation during sugery.As I fully awoke in recovery,they asked me if I was in any pain,and I indicated that I was.
 As soon as they gave me the pain med's.I told them my hand was in severe pain.That's when the nurse discovered that my vein had infiltrated.She immediately took out the I.V.and put a hot compress onto my hand and told me to keep it above my heart,and it would go down in a few hour's
 It took 2 day's for that to happen.
 I was traumitized by this expierience.I cried non stop for 3 day's.The surgery center was concerned about what happened,but the Dr.totally blew me off.
 I ran a fever on and off all week.When my fever finally reached 100.9 I called his office that fri. night.The on call Dr. called me, I told him what happened.He told me my vein had infiltrated,and most of the med's I was given was going in my hand not my body.That is why I felt the pain,and remembered there conversation.
 Why would no one in the O.R. not be monitoring my I.V.?
 This has to be one of the worst experience's of my life.I feel as though I was  skinned alive.


  No one took responcibility for what happened to me,and also my lypo was completely messed up.He never had me where a compression garment,and now my stomache is deformed.I went to another plasic surgeon for a second opinion,and he agreed.
This whole thing has been a complete unproffesional mess.
 I don't know if it can ever be fixed.
           Sincerly Susan

Answer
I have to agree with you that this sounds like an [sic] "unproffesional mess".

I do not know how one could 'scream in pain' during surgery and not attract the attention of the people in the OR that something was amiss (?) !

We normally like to keep an eye on intravenous lines to ascertain their correct and proper functioning.  Monitoring of your blood pressure, electrocardiogram, heart rate, rate and depth of breathing, temperature, depth of anesthesia and blood concentration of oxygen usually take priority over the unlikely chance that an iv that worked well preoperatively failed intraoperatively.  Also note that many surgeons insist on tucking patient's arms to their sides where the anesthesiologist or anyone else does not have visual or other access to the iv site.

Surgery involves risk. Operating rooms are dangerous places.  Please don't have any more surgery unless you NEED it.