Following parathyroid surgery 9 days ago, when I woke up on day 8 to get ready to go get my stitches out, I found it difficult to move my head from side to side and it also seemed more painful to swallow. When I put my hand up to feel my incision, it felt like I extremely swollen and when I looked in the mirror, it looked like I had swallowed 1/2 a baseball.



The dr. told me I probably had a fluid buildup or even possibly a hematoma and that he would use an ultrasound to check it out. I turned out to be both fluid and blood and the dr. said he would be happy to drain it, but that I would have to go back to the OR and stay overnight at the hospital OR, we could watch it for a few days to see if it got bigger. He said it was basically up to me if I wanted to have it drained or wait it out, although it would take a very long time to go away on its own. I thought I could possibly wait it out, but it seems it got slightly bigger by the next day and I noticed that it is much more difficult to swallow food and turn my neck, as well as it feels like someone has their hands around my throat at all times while they are slightly trying to choke me. My question is if the swelling is both fluid and blood, can all the fluid/blood be drained in the OR, or would a drain have to be put in so it can graduallly drain? I think I've reached the point where the discomfort is unacceptable, but I would like to know exactly what procedure would be used because of being put to sleep?

P.S. I'm 59, 161 lbs., 5'2"