Lymph node dissection groin

Hello , welcome to the online community melanoma group, I can see that you’ve already had a reply from the ask a nurse and your after some person experience. 

I thought I’d tag a couple of people in to this post to see if that might speed a reply up for you.

Diane1951 and  I hope you and any others can help, these 2 mentioned having nodes removed recently in the following post that I’m putting a link in for.

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/melanoma/f/melanoma-forum/183382/going-home-with-a-drain-after-lymph-node-removal?Page=0#1355601

I think less dissections are happening now that adjuvant treatment is available in the U.K. 

I can understand you wanting to keep independent and mobile, it was one thing that I was concerned about when I had surgery to remove one node in my groin in March. My surgery was laparoscopic and I didn’t need a drain so I’m not sure my experience will help. I remember one of the check list questions before allowing me home from hospital was wether I had been to the toilet on my own, I saw that mobility to go to the toilet was one of your concerns in the ask a nurse post. 

Best wishes

Hi Gwogga

I'm glad KTatHome put the link up as I don't know how to do that! I was in your position a few weeks ago and asked the same question. I'm very much older than you (mid 60's) and probably have a few more ops under my belt but it still doesn't stop the worry. I feel it's a good idea to get as much info as you can so that you're well prepared so you have certainly come to the right place. I had my op on 8th July. I had lymph nodes removed from my groin, had one night in hospital and was discharged with 2 drain bottles attached to 2 tubes, entering at the top of my thigh and going under the skin to the groin. The bottles are a nuisance but a necessity. During the day I carried them around in a long handled bag that I wore across my body and at night I put them in one of those cardboard wine carriers from the supermarket! (stopped them falling over!) The op itself is fine. I have an incision along the crease of my groin which isn't too uncomfortable although I found my usual underwear cut in so I bought some pyjama shorts from Asda and wear them instead!  I won't pretend it's all plain sailing but its bearable. Walking is painful sometimes and stairs are challenging but I think it helps with drainage to move a bit now and again.The drain bottles were filling up very quickly and I was going back to the hospital daily to get them changed. Eventually they gave me spare bottles and I changed them at home. They give you a chart to fill in to record how many mls is draining in a 24 hour period.After a week they took one drain out then after 2 weeks they took the 2nd bottle off and attached a bag to the tube which is much more manageable and doesn't show under a skirt and I just take the stopper out and empty it myself. Unfortunately I got an infection 10 days ago, my leg was red, swollen, hot to the touch and I felt like I had the flu so they put me on antibiotics which seem to be doing the trick. My leg is still swollen as the lymph fluid builds up in the leg despite the drain. I have found it quite painful at times..burning sensations, numbness, stabbing pains, crawling type sensations etc. All perfectly normal according to my surgeon. He told me surgeons have been performing this operation for 100 years and still haven't found a way to make it more comfortable for the patient! I just keep telling myself it's only temporary and once the drain comes out it'll all be ok. Make sure you take painkillers regularly even if you think you don't need them. Getting comfortable is difficult, any position becomes uncomfirtable after a while! At night as I like to sleep on my side I put a cushion between my knees so as not to put pressure on the swollen leg. I hope I haven't made you worry more... you might be lucky and sail through it, I think getting an infection is slowing down my recovery. Remenber it's only temporary! If i can help in any way please message me. Good luck for your op. x

Hi ,

I had this op at the start of May. There’s quite a lot of information in the thread that you’ve now got the link for, and there’s also a link to my blog in there which is quite detailed in parts and has some pics...

I can’t remember how much I wrote about going to the toilet but it was tricky!

I had no experience of staying in hospital prior to my surgery and no idea what to expect about anything! I was quite stressed about what to pack etc, so please feel free to ask about anything that you’re unsure about.

They absolutely want you to be getting up and about in the hospital. I was told to ask a nurse for help the first time I got up for the loo in case I was wobbly on my feet. It actually wasn’t too bad that time because my groin and leg was still numb from the local anaesthetic they put in the area during the surgery. It was an awkward process through. Shuffling through the ward, trying to hold my gown closed over my bum and carrying 2 drains that I had no idea what I was doing with at that point! My drain leaked everywhere as I got up too because one of the valves hadn’t been closed properly, so a full change of me and the bed was required! I also still had a catheter in my hand (for the whole time I stayed in hospital) even though it wasn’t attached to anything, which was awkwardly positioned for using my hands to lower myself onto the toilet. Be warned - they want you to wee into a cardboard bowl that first time so they can measure the volume. I was mortified about the whole experience to be honest, but people who’ve had kids tell me they got over all that during childbirth. So it depends on how you feel about things like that!

After that going to the loo was possible but it did hurt. Walking and stairs were mostly okay for me actually, but it was the pushing myself from sitting to standing that hurt. My groin was never a problem, it was the front of my thigh that was the most painful where the drains were. Keep on top of your painkillers and ask for more in the hospital as and when you need them. If you are finding it painful to get up for a wee, ask for more pain relief before you do. They were giving me a fast acting oral morphine when I asked for it - liquid in a syringe that I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to be doing with the first time they waved it at me! 

It also quite annoyed me that they were asking about my pain levels when they did their observations- which they wake you up for - so I’d been asleep and not moving. They kept charting my pain as zero, but it really bloody hurt when I tried to get up! So do be proactive and ask if you need it - they will give it to you. On reflection I spent a lot of my stay in hospital trying not to bother the nurses, because there was another very demanding woman in my ward, but actually I should have been putting myself first and asking for help more.

They kept me in hospital two nights. I asked for another lot of morphine just before I left for the car journey. Once I got home it was still tricky going to the loo, but it is do-able, and you will manage. It’s all just a right faff to be honest! Do make sure you have a soft long-handled bag to help with carrying your drains about.

On the plus side, my groin healed well with no infections or complications and never really hurt all that much. It is the drains that are annoying and cause the weird sensations, so I think everyone’s experience will be slightly different on that front depending on exactly where they are and how straightforward it is.

You will be fine but it is all a bit terrifying. Take it one day at a time and have a good cry when you need to. Good luck.

Kate Xxx

Thank you for the reply. 

Do they do the operation key hole ? Or it is a long incision?

i am really not looking forward to it at all 

Thank you for your reply? I do appreciate it x

Mine was a long incision. Randomly, I was most worried about waking up after the surgery with the tube down my throat still - as if that’s the most stressful bit! But actually I woke up feeling more comfortable than I ever have in my life, and I have said once or twice that I quite enjoyed the whole general anaesthetic experience! 

I really hadn’t enjoyed having my 2 WLEs under a local, so this seemed preferable to me.

Is it the surgery itself you’re worried about or afterwards?

x

I had a long incision following the curve of the groin. It is really very straight forward and like Katybb I quite enjoyed the GA experience! I wish I could fall asleep instantaneously like that every night! There is very little discomfort afterwards. My stitches are dissolvable so no hassle with having to have them removed.

I’m really worried for after the operation, the mobility side and that but I’ll just keep as active as possible 

Don’t try and overdo it too soon though, you need to give yourself a chance to heal. Best of luck and let us know how you get on. X

Hi there i had my groin dissection feb 2018 and drains in for 5 weeks plus further admission for cellulitis. I have to say that the drains were the worse part for me and not being able to shower fully! But please take heart - on 30.6.2018 i did a 5 km pretty muddy run for race for life ,by july i was back riding my horse and 18 months on life is back to normal - lymphedema is managed thru my compression stocking and lots of dog walking and ive found a mini trampeline exercise class which is amazing for lymphedema!! My advice would be to do easy walking and lots of rest while healing but then just go for it - i have a bit of a strange wedge at top of my inner thigh but scar can barely be seen now - good luck to you and go with how you feel and walk walk walk !!! Xxx