Scalp cyst removal; not looking forward to it

[writergal]

Has anyone ever had a cyst removed from their scalp or body before? I've had a pilar cyst growing on the back of scalp since birth. It's about the size of a quarter and my hair hides it (thankfully). But in a week I'm going to have it removed and I'm a little freaked out, since the scalp is very vascular (obviously) so there will be heavy bleeding. Since it has a "wall" there's a good chance it will just grow back but my doctor said he's going to try to remove the wall without cutting too deep. *yikes* Supposedly these cysts are benign and very rarely are cancerous - my doctor is going to biopsy it anyway since there's cancer in my family history. :sick:

[d'Arthez]

I can imagine you are not looking forward to that. It does not sound like the nicest procedure to say the least. But still, if there is a good medical reason to do it - do it. Better safe than sorry.

[writergal]

I'm just not looking forward to all the bleeding involved. I have to lay face down on a table since it's an out-patient procedure, and was warned by the nurse not to be freaked out by the amount of blood. Hopefully I'll just faint and miss the whole thing!

[d'Arthez]

Hopefully I'll just faint and miss the whole thing!

That would be my plan.

[writergal]

That would be my plan.

 

Hahaha! Great minds think alike!

[d'Arthez]

I hate hospitals. Probably does not help that some doctors literally killed my grandfather through sheer incompetence. Still, it does not stop me from going to hospitals, to get checkups or going through procedures.

 

Just bite the bullet and get it done with writergal. Better safe than sorry.

[writergal]

I hate hospitals. Probably does not help that some doctors literally killed my grandfather through sheer incompetence. Still, it does not stop me from going to hospitals, to get checkups or going through procedures.

 

Just bite the bullet and get it done with writergal. Better safe than sorry.

 

Oh no, what happened to your grandfather?! I trust nurses over doctors most of the time. They have a better rapport with patients than doctors.

 

Yeah. I plan to faint to avoid dealing with all the blood.

 

The last procedure I had done was when I had to have windshield glass removed from my left knee after a car accident. There I was, strapped on a table with a curtain at my waist that blocked my view of my swollen knee. The doctor who did the procedure recognized me from one of the dog parks I frequented with my sister's dog. So embarrassing and funny at the same time. What could I do? He had a scaple in my knee and I was numb from the waist down. I joked with him about the knee surgery the next time our paths crossed at the dog park. It really is a small world after all.

[d'Arthez]

Oh no, what happened to your grandfather?!

He went in for an eye operation. I think to remove some cataracts? Operation went fine, he never woke up though from the anesthetics. Did not help that they kept on pumping fluids into his body, even though nothing was coming out. They probably drowned him in his own tissue. Nice.

I was not there, so this is just the story I have heard from my father. I have little reason to doubt it. My father and his sister considered lodging a complaint, but eventually decided against it, as it would have meant they'd have to live through the whole ordeal again.

 

I trust nurses over doctors most of the time. They have a better rapport with patients than doctors.

That really depends on the country you are in. I had the ill fortune to end up in a hospital in South Africa. Nursing standards there are so abysmal, that sometimes you are better off thinking there are no nurses around. At least you wouldn't lie there with the expectation that they care.

 

It is a small world indeed. Glad that the surgery after your accident went well, and that you could laugh about the whole thing.

[writergal]

That's terrible. He shouldn't have died from an eye operation like that. I'm sorry to hear that.

 

I agree with you about each country has different medical standards. Yikes about your South Africa hospital experience. Was it for something serious?

 

One has to laugh about such experiences I think.

 

When I lived in southern China, I went to the city hospital to get my foot x-rayed after I got pushed off a bus, then again when I had pneumonia. The doctors and nurses didn't have or provide me lead aprons when I had the x-ray, and were smoking cigarettes the entire time during my visits. Also, I had to wait to get crutches because they told me the janitor with the keys to the closet where the ONLY pair of crutches were, was conveniently not there. When the nurses asked me for a urine sample, they gave me a dixie cup and told me to pee in it. When I brought it out, they placed it on a table...full of other unmarked dixie cups. Then wanted to do a blood test - I said "no way!" and booked a flight back to the Midwest. I was seen a by a doctor in Hong Kong on my way back. He teased me that I would probably bring SARS to the states (you can imagine my reaction to the movie Contagion where Gwyneth Paltrow's character gets sick in Hong Kong). I went to the ER after I got off the plane, got pumped with IV fluids, given a prescription of antibiotics and sent home. Thank god for Western medicine.

 

You'll have to forgive my long-winded posts. I know some people are bothered by the length but I'm Irish and Italian - so I'm cursed with a talkative nature.

 

He went in for an eye operation. I think to remove some cataracts? Operation went fine, he never woke up though from the anesthetics. Did not help that they kept on pumping fluids into his body, even though nothing was coming out. They probably drowned him in his own tissue. Nice.

I was not there, so this is just the story I have heard from my father. I have little reason to doubt it. My father and his sister considered lodging a complaint, but eventually decided against it, as it would have meant they'd have to live through the whole ordeal again.

 

 

That really depends on the country you are in. I had the ill fortune to end up in a hospital in South Africa. Nursing standards there are so abysmal, that sometimes you are better off thinking there are no nurses around. At least you wouldn't lie there with the expectation that they care.

 

It is a small world indeed. Glad that the surgery after your accident went well, and that you could laugh about the whole thing.

[d'Arthez]

Such is life. Was the first death of someone I was close to. The first death of a family member (that I can remember. My great grandmother died when I was 4, but that hardly counts). I was 15 at the time. 5 months later my other grandfather died.

 

I accept it, but it has not exactly been good for my confidence in hospitals.

I agree with you about each country has different medical standards. Yikes about your South Africa hospital experience. Was it for something serious?

I broke my shoulder. Left my left humerus in smithereens. I had an excellent doctor do the operation. Luckily as a foreigner I had private insurance. So I could get the best care available. And I was lucky that this ward had decent nurses - that is quite rare even in private care. Though I hardly needed him, and was only in the hospital for about 48 hours.

 

Operation went well, and I can use my left hand for just about anything. Except for throwing movements. I am left handed. Thankfully writing is not too rough.

 

I can tell you some rather unpleasant stories of other private care patients. And don't even get me started on the public sector in South Africa. Sometimes it is literally a live horror movie. It is that bad. Think about nurses not bothering with a pregnant woman whose waters just broke, because they are on tea break.

 

You had some dreadful experiences in China. Glad it eventually got sorted, even though it was a massive hassle to get there.

[Eternal Sunshine]

I have always hated doctors and never trusted them.

 

My ex's father was a surgeon and it really disturbed me when he told stories about how him and his colleagues would drink all night and then go and do 8am surgery - hangover and with no sleep. He also seemed to be bragging about it :sick:

[d'Arthez]

My ex's father was a surgeon and it really disturbed me when he told stories about how him and his colleagues would drink all night and then go and do 8am surgery - hangover and with no sleep. He also seemed to be bragging about it :sick:

Yeah ... remind me not to be the first person of any surgeon on any particular day.

[love4ever]

I've seen some cyst removal videos on youtube (yea i was bored). But everyone seems very comfortable and pain free. It'll be quick and easy.

[whichwayisup]

I hope they give you lots of drugs to knock you out, enough that you aren't aware of what's going on. have you had your procedure yet? If not, I wish you the best and hope all goes well.

[writergal]

I hope they give you lots of drugs to knock you out, enough that you aren't aware of what's going on. have you had your procedure yet? If not, I wish you the best and hope all goes well.

 

Well all they can give me is local anesthesia to my scalp. The dr. didn't discuss giving me a sedative so I don't think that's an option (as much as I would like one).

 

It's scheduled for the end of this week on Friday. The last time I had anesthesia was for the removal of my wisdom teeth, where I was completely knocked out. I'm sure I'm over-reacting because of where the cyst is located. If it were on an arm or leg or any other place I wouldn't be as freaked out. Thanks for the best wishes. I'm sure it will go fine. (crosses fingers)

[weathervane]

I have a cyst on my scalp too! They run in my family, and my dad always got them removed because they were visible on his head. His were removed without stitches or much bleeding. Mine is on the top of my head and has been growing slowly for like 10 years or something, since I was a kid. It's finally gotten big enough for a couple people to feel when they put their hand on my head (one of these times was my hairdresser). So finally I want it removed, even though it can't be seen.

 

Look at the wikipedia article on "Trichilemmal cyst"--it describes the two methods for surgical removal. Maybe ask the doctor why it can't be removed with the "more conservative approach"?

[writergal]

So you can totally relate! When are you getting yours removed? Mine is the size of a quarter. If you put your hand on the back of my head you can feel this awful lump. Luckily it's above the surface. I think I would need to be put under if it were below the surface. Your poor dad. What he must have gone through having to have multiple cyst removals. But at least there wasn't a lot of bleeding involved.

 

I'll definitely email my doctor today about the two different removal methods that Wiki article mentions. Thanks for that link!

 

 

I have a cyst on my scalp too! They run in my family, and my dad always got them removed because they were visible on his head. His were removed without stitches or much bleeding. Mine is on the top of my head and has been growing slowly for like 10 years or something, since I was a kid. It's finally gotten big enough for a couple people to feel when they put their hand on my head (one of these times was my hairdresser). So finally I want it removed, even though it can't be seen.

 

Look at the wikipedia article on "Trichilemmal cyst"--it describes the two methods for surgical removal. Maybe ask the doctor why it can't be removed with the "more conservative approach"?

[carhill]

OP, I had a cyst the size of a large peanut removed back in 2008 and it took about 30 minutes under local anesthetic. Most of the time was spent getting all of the sac (she had to root around for it) and doing a good cosmetic suture job since I'm mostly bald. The dermatologist did a great job. No post-op complications; no negative pathology (checked for cancer). Even when I buzz my hair, it's hardly noticeable; hair grew back as normal. The weirdest part of the procedure was feeling the cutting (no pain) and how much force she had to put in when rooting around, along with the funky smell from the cauterization gun.

 

The procedure was done in her office. At the time, she told me that it was borderline for admittance to the hospital due to its size and projection. This taught me to get them looked at sooner.

 

With insurance, the total pre-insurance bill was under a grand and I paid a little over 300 out of pocket.

[writergal]

Wow so you had it done. When you say local anesthetic, do you mean just your scalp was numbed (I hope)? Wait, so you felt her cutting your scalp even though you didn't feel pain? My dr. told me it would take up to an hour to remove since it's the size of a quarter. Ugh this is really freaking me out. I'm fine with the cyst removal, but I'm scared of the anesthesia and of the dermatologist digging too deep and cutting a vein or something important. Gosh I'm a scaredy cat. I can't bring myself to watch cyst removals on Youtube either because if I do, I will cancel the appointment. I will have to pay a small patient fee since I have student health insurance which will cover 80% of the costs. I guess I shouldn't be worried. I mean, I had impacted wisdom teeth removed (although I was unconscious for it ha ha) so how bad could a scalp cyst removal be right?

 

 

OP, I had a cyst the size of a large peanut removed back in 2008 and it took about 30 minutes under local anesthetic. Most of the time was spent getting all of the sac (she had to root around for it) and doing a good cosmetic suture job since I'm mostly bald. The dermatologist did a great job. No post-op complications; no negative pathology (checked for cancer). Even when I buzz my hair, it's hardly noticeable; hair grew back as normal. The weirdest part of the procedure was feeling the cutting (no pain) and how much force she had to put in when rooting around, along with the funky smell from the cauterization gun.

 

The procedure was done in her office. At the time, she told me that it was borderline for admittance to the hospital due to its size and projection. This taught me to get them looked at sooner.

 

With insurance, the total pre-insurance bill was under a grand and I paid a little over 300 out of pocket.

[whichwayisup]

Well all they can give me is local anesthesia to my scalp. The dr. didn't discuss giving me a sedative so I don't think that's an option (as much as I would like one).

 

It's scheduled for the end of this week on Friday. The last time I had anesthesia was for the removal of my wisdom teeth, where I was completely knocked out. I'm sure I'm over-reacting because of where the cyst is located. If it were on an arm or leg or any other place I wouldn't be as freaked out. Thanks for the best wishes. I'm sure it will go fine. (crosses fingers)

 

Do ask if there is something they can give you to calm your nerves. Anti anxiety medication, or possibly laughing gas. I know if I had that procedure done there's NO WAY I could be still and not be freaking out! I get put out when I go the dentist!

 

Just try to do some yoga and meditation, hopefully that will make you feel calmer this week. Good luck on Friday!

[carhill]

Yes, the cutting feels like and sounds like scissors cutting thick paper and then there's some banging as instruments hit the skull during the procedure, at least with my procedure. I was face-down on the table with my face in a cradle to stabilize my skull (cyst was anterior). The doctor and I talked about camping and cruises and the local college football team and other subjects while she was working. She occasionally asked if I was alright. I told her nothing different than when I fix myself up except for no pain in her procedure. The gun smell was similar to when welding BB's hit my skin and burn it. Simply the smell of a little burning flesh. Again, no pain, either during the procedure nor significantly after. She rx'd me some pain meds but I never took them. It was just a dull ache. I had to be careful to keep the area dry for a week or two and then went back to have the sutures removed. That was quick and pain-free and done by an assistant.

 

Compared to getting a crown or a large tooth filling, it was nothing, IMO.

 

ETA that, yes, it was a local and the area extending from my right ear to near scalp centerline was numb. I could still talk, hear, function and respond to instructions. The needle injecting the anesthetic at different points in the area 'hurt' more than the procedure.

Edited May 28, 2012 by carhill

[writergal]

I don't know that I could be as calm as you were with your doctor, as I was when I had my knee surgery to have windshield glass removed. I think I will try to do some deep breathing or meditation beforehand. Not sure if I want to be sedated yet.

[carhill]

Go over the positives and negatives of sedation with your doctor and make a decision based on the particulars of your case.

 

As an extreme example, due to potential complications from anesthesia interacting with dementia, my mom had to have breast cancer surgery done without a general anesthetic. I fought the anesthesiologist on that point (they wanted to do a general because it's 'easier') but we ended up doing the surgery with a local and an approved (for dementia) 'relaxant'. She was into and out of surgery in 90 minutes and went home an hour later with no residual effects. Each case is different. My case (and my mother's) are unique, as is yours. Hopefully this input has been helpful.

 

My opinion is, if the relaxant will ease your anxiety and still fulfill the other parameters you desire for the procedure and result, then go with that. As an example, at the time, I had no backup for transport in the case of sedation, so such would have been problematical. As it was, I drove myself home after the procedure. That's one factor to consider. There are others. Work it out and do what's best for you.

[writergal]

Thanks for that information Carhill. I'll just communicate with my doctor about all of my concerns via email so that by Friday I will feel informed and relaxed about it.

[pureinheart]

Has anyone ever had a cyst removed from their scalp or body before? I've had a pilar cyst growing on the back of scalp since birth. It's about the size of a quarter and my hair hides it (thankfully). But in a week I'm going to have it removed and I'm a little freaked out, since the scalp is very vascular (obviously) so there will be heavy bleeding. Since it has a "wall" there's a good chance it will just grow back but my doctor said he's going to try to remove the wall without cutting too deep. *yikes* Supposedly these cysts are benign and very rarely are cancerous - my doctor is going to biopsy it anyway since there's cancer in my family history. :sick:

 

I had one removed, and not sure what kind it was. It was the size of a dime. I noticed throughout the years it would increase and decrease in size. If it got messed with by brushing my hair or hitting it I'd get a pain from it that would go clear down to the end of my neck...I thought that was very weird. I felt physically better after it's removal.

 

If they don't get all of it, it could grow back, mine hasn't.

 

Good luck WG...you got my thoughts (((((hugs))))