Something Strange

[bigsidster]

Hello all ,me again.
I have a story for you all that maybe you can help me with.i had my surgery on November 22/2010 to replace aortic valve and double bypass.When I woke up in ICU they were rmoving the breathing tube and asking me if i was awake.I was in and out from the drugs.The next time I woke up I was in a room but still feeling the drugs effects.My throat was very,very sore and dry dry.I complained about my sore throat for 2 days and they increased the pain meds.It felt like something was stuck in my sinus cavity just above the little hanging piece of flesh (uvula).i coughed and coughed and sucked fluid back from my sinus and spit it out for 2 days.On day 3 I sucked something down from my sinus and spit it out.It was a piece of white tubing about 1/2 inch wide and flattened out.It was closed at one end and open at the other like it was a cap of some sort and was flattened out.It was coated with sinus mucus now.i was not thinking clearly and just spit it into a keanex and through it in the garbage.I told my wife about it when she came to visit but she thought i was just talking about a big gob of mucus that i coughed up. I never thought much about it at the time because i was in pain and was having trouble keeping everything together.I had some anxiety and the shakes and they put me on Adavan.I have no idea what this piece of white rubber hose was.It may have been part of the breathing tube they stick down your throat.I have an appointment with my heart surgeon coming up for the 6 week check up.Would you mention this to her???????

 

[Jkm7]

How's your throat now? Any pain? Trouble swallowing? Any sinus pain?
If the answers are no, I wouldn't bother speaking about it.
If you think you have any lingering symtoms you think might be connected then perhaps mention it.
If all is well, what's the point of bringing any of it up.

Good luck at your appointment. Hope you get a great report.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

YES, I think you should mention it to the Surgeon.

Something like that should NOT happen and your comment might lead someone to think about where it could have come from so as to prevent that from happening to someone ELSE.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[buncle]

ditto al- i would certainly ask. thats not normal. let us know what you hear.

 

[normofthenorth]

Yup, I'd go with the "Sure, I'd mention it!" group, too. "History is a series of events that almost didn't happen." If there's a way to prevent this kind of event from happening again, let's give them every chance to do that.

 

[nngbwh]

YES, I think you should mention it to the Surgeon.

Something like that should NOT happen and your comment might lead someone to think about where it could have come from so as to prevent that from happening to someone ELSE.

'AL Capshaw'

I totally agree with AL.

 

[Philip B]

Mystery Tube

Mystery Tube

Yeah, a conversation with your surgeon would be appropriate. It would be interesting to find out what it was and get an explanation for why it was stuck in your sinus cavity.

-Philip

 

[Duff Man]

I would almost think the hospital itself should know about that one

 

[Jkm7]

Seeing as nothing was said while in the hospital when it happened, how seriously would anyone take it at this point?
I wouldn't take it all that seriously if it wasn't worth mentioning at the time.

 

[yotphix]

Seeing as nothing was said while in the hospital when it happened, how seriously would anyone take it at this point?
I wouldn't take it all that seriously if it wasn't worth mentioning at the time.

They may be reluctant to admit to it but at the very least, if they are informed, they will know about it. There is only so much equipment used in a surgery and chances are pretty good that they will know from the description exactly what he is talking about. It may save someone else some pain or discomfort some day.
Based on your second sentence here, I'm pretty glad you aren't a surgeon.

 

[scott.eitman]

YES, I think you should mention it to the Surgeon.

Something like that should NOT happen and your comment might lead someone to think about where it could have come from so as to prevent that from happening to someone ELSE.

'AL Capshaw'

I agree as well.

 

[Bina]

Yes, doctors/surgeons/hospitals, should know about anything that could potentially cause injury.
During surgery all items are counted and accounted for, the tube bit might have been inserted in ICU later.

 

[Kathy McCain]

I say yes, you definitely SHOULD say something. That should not have happened. They really need to know, and it's my guess the surgeon, and staff would certainly WANT to know!

 

[JeffM]

Seeing as nothing was said while in the hospital when it happened, how seriously would anyone take it at this point?
I wouldn't take it all that seriously if it wasn't worth mentioning at the time.

I very adamantly disagree and am having a difficult time understanding your point of view...although, I respect it....why wouldn't one want to alert the surgeon and/or hospital that something probably preventable occurred. At the very least, wouldn't that give them a chance to review their procedures and checklists to try and prevent it from happening again? Besides, I'd be damn curious to know what it was that got left behind. I see no harm and nothing to lose; everything to gain. Am I missing something?

 

[Jkm7]

Jeff and everyone ..... It is my personal opinion that if the patient did not consider it significant or worthy of mention at the time it happened or at any time while in the hospital, why would they expect to be taken very seriously weeks/months later? It doesn't make me right; it just makes it my opinion.

Doctors, hospitals, nurses.... all health care providers in our litigious atmosphere are not going to be eager to get into serious discussion about something that cannot be proven, hopefully has left no lasting ill effect and can only lead to a headache for them. In a perfect world, we would expect everyone to be eager to hear as much about the incident as possible. My world is not perfect and do not expect to find anyone who wants anything to do with an issue they can 'duck' easily.

JMHO.....
That is my reasoning, for better or worse. Again, doesn't make me correct; it only makes it my opinion.

 

[JeffM]

Jkm7,

I see your point and I suspect you're right about hospital staff easily ducking (or trying) what happened. Believe me, I live in the same world as you. I'm a Realtor, and I could go on for hours about what people will try to get away with. It's possible bigsidster will never find out what happened. It's also conceivable that he did tell someone about his symptoms, perhaps more than once, and there may be a record of it. So, it can't hurt and I would like to think it might help to report it.