Diagnosis: Surgical complications
Description: Secondary hemorrhage after surgery
Morphology: Purpura
Site: Forehead
Sex: M
Age: 68
Type: Clinical
Submitted By: Ian McColl
Differential DiagnosisHistory:
This man had a bilateral advancement flap repair for a large BCC on his forehead.He had been on aspirin which was stopped for 10 days before his surgery.Though hemostasis seemed ok at closure he bled into the wound 24 hours later and did not attend for follow up untill 48 hours after the bleed.Generally if someone bleeds post surgery you should take the sutures out,clean out the clot and seal off any bleeding points.In this case because it was further down the track he was left to let it settle with surprisingly good results just two weeks later.
I may not be so lucky next time!