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SLNB/WLE Blue dye

Fifitrix1
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Hi

I'm a week post SLNB/WLE surgery and am curious about the blue dye.  I was aware that the radioactive blue dye would be injected before the surgery but am curious about the beautiful turquoise blue dye that was all over my leg when I came out of surgery.  My surgeon said it might be there a number of months but to be fair it has faded a good deal.  However, I haven't washed the site (was told not to) and it's not rubbed off on my TED stockings.  So it's like it's been absorbed.  WHAT IS IT??!!!

  • Hi  

    I don't know what the radioactive dye is made from so that might be a good question to post in the Ask a Nurse section of the online community. It would be interesting to read what they say.

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  • in reply to latchbrook

    Hi.  That's a good shout. It's not the radioactive dye I'm although about just the one that was put on my skin (not in). I just feel a bit nosey.  Too much time on my hands. :)

  • in reply to latchbrook

    Me again - I asked ChatGPT!

    ChatGPT

    The blue dye commonly used during a wide local excision procedure is typically a dye called methylene blue. Methylene blue is a synthetic dye that has been used in various medical applications, including surgery and diagnostic procedures. It is often employed to help surgeons visualize and identify the margins of a tumor or lesion during procedures like wide local excisions.

    During a wide local excision, surgeons aim to remove a tumor along with a surrounding margin of healthy tissue to ensure that all cancerous cells are removed. Methylene blue can be injected into the area surrounding the tumor before surgery. The dye quickly spreads through the lymphatic channels, staining the lymph nodes and tissues in the vicinity. This staining helps the surgeon identify the extent of the tumor and aids in ensuring that the entire affected area is excised.

    It's important to note that the specific dye used during a procedure may vary, and surgeons may choose different dyes based on factors such as the type of surgery and the preferences of the medical team. Methylene blue is just one example of a dye used in this context.

  • in reply to Fifitrix1

    That's really interesting. Thanks for posting Slight smile

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  • in reply to Fifitrix1

    Hmm interesting indeed. I had that dye all over my leg and I first saw it when I had my first dressing changes post WLE/SLNB. I just took it for what it was and never asked. I figured it was the dye used for the lymph node scan leaking from me when I was cut open, given it was a very similar blue colour to my urine after the scan. But what I can say about it is that in my case it pretty much all came off straight away once I was healed enough to shower and I don’t remember it persisting or being difficult to clean off at all. I guess it depends on the actual dye used in the op though. 

  • in reply to Fifitrix1

    Hi – I was puzzled when doctor performing my excision (during Covid so in full PPE) asked for blue dye. It wasn't a WLE but they did take more than I was expecting re margins – ended up being two dysplastic moles (one of which was very inflamed) in a single excision. I thought at the time maybe they were taking a bit extra than standard margin to avoid having to do two procedures. I never heard them ask for blue dye during any of my other mole ops.

  • in reply to Rosalinda

    I realise I never saw the final written report so I don't know the margins only that it's a wide scar. It may or may not have been a WLE. 

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