Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 7/13/2009

Question
QUESTION: Had surgery to put in a bladder pacemaker on Thursday and I had the red spots on back in a few places after surgery.
I also have red itchy places between 2 fingers.

ANSWER: If I had to guess, that is where they put the electrocautery pad (does it look like a rectangle?)or you were laying on something not flat. It's probably not an allergy but if it gets worse, you should have it checked out.


Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: They are not really spots but patches of red and it is not fading. The patches look like burns. It looks like I have a sunbun in 4 areas.  What would cause the red, itchy places in between two fingers.

Answer
The itch between the fingers I have no idea (nothing related to anesthesia that I can think of). As for the "burns" the only things I can think of are they are burns from the electrocautery caused by a faulty return pad or they are from some kind of heating blanket. Of course, since I can't see the patches, this is all speculative on my part. You might want to go to your internist to have it checked out.

Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston