Skin Surgery

[Marty]

Two days ago I had skin surgery, a wide excision after a mole was biopsied and found to be malignant. The surgeon knew I was on Coumadin but told me it didn't need to be stopped. My INR the evening before surgery was 3.0. Today the 5" incision looks fine doesn't hurt and hopefully will heal up OK. I post this info because some of our correspondents state that their surgeons demand stopping Coumadin prior to skin surgery.

 

[Ross]

Thanks Marty, glad to hear it seems to be healing well too.

I wish there were an easy way to get all physicians on the same page when it comes to procedures, but it doesn't look like that'll happen in my lifetime.

 

[wlaldridge]

I too, have had skin surgery twice since being on warfarin.

Neither time did I allow them to take me off my protocol. Mine were only about 3 inches long, one required a second area to obtain a skin graft. The plastic surgeon joked that he didn't like it much, I might bleed out and injure his good statistics. He is a strange guy with little "bedside manner" but sometimes is just a joker.

The surgery center employee doing the intake was upset that I refused to go off the warfarin. I tried to explain why, but she just didn't "get it". Her programing was don't let people be on anticoagulants for three days before any surgery-end of story.

The doc was more realistic about the whole thing. Thank goodness.

Thanks for posting your experience, Marty!

Bill

 

[tommy]

Marty,

I had the same surgery a year ago. After a suspicious mole was removed from my left forearm and determined to be malignant melanoma, they went back in for the wide area excision. The surgeon and cardiologist negociated a reduction in the INR. I simply skipped taking Coumadin for a few days prior to surgery. I was 2.0 going into surgery.

I was surprised because the 5" scar results from an egg shaped cut that has over 10" of "circumference" before they bring it together into a 5" line. That a lot of surface area to be cut - but it worked out fine. Actually, my scar is only four inches.

Hope you continue to improve. You should do fine. Are they analyzing the tissue that was removed?

I go back to the surgeon/dermatologist/cancer specialist every three months. Last month I had another suspicious mole removed - benign, thank God. They put silver nitrate on the "slice", but I still bled a bit for about a week - the location was on a natural skin fold. Also had a PET scan that turned out normal.


Please keep us posted.

 

[Guest]

Marty, Glad to hear that you are healing well. I had one also - on the top of my head. I wondered why we hadn't heard from you in a while.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Marty-

Joe had a small malignant lesion removed w/o stopping Coumadin. All went very well, until the scab decided to separate ahead of time and he ended up in the ER. It finally stopped after about an hour and a half of pressure, and he had to have the dressing they put on in the ER removed by a surgeon to be safe. It was a costly deal. But his had lots of blood vessels involved. It was surprising how much blood came pouring out of that little wound.

So be careful with it, maybe a little dressing over it while you're sleeping so it doesn't rub on the pillow, until the scab is ready to drop off.

Good luck.

 

[bvdr]

Hi Marty,

I'm glad the excision went well for you and thanks for letting us know about being able to have it done without having to come off your coumadin. I hope that they were able to get it all and you have no more problems with it.

I'm glad everyone else's have done well too.

 

[tommy]

Marty,

Thinking about you. Everything okay?

 

[Marty]

OK

OK

Thanks, Tom I get the stitches out 11/3. The incision seems to be fine, no infection. However at one end of it there is a big black and blue area where there must have been some oozing. No pain or discomfort. So if it all holds together after the stitches are removed we can be assured this is the right way to do it and we do not have to stop the Coumadin. Warm regards Marty

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Marty,

Sorry...must have missed your post first time around.

Hope you are doing much better!

Take good care.