Question:

hi – my mom had vascular surgery on right leg (top of leg near crease) beginning september 2006. swelling was immediate and expected. however, over 3 months the swelling never went down, in fact has increased and also into the ankle. I have felt her leg – it is rock hard with swelling. her surgeon saw her the other day, looked at the leg and didn`t say much. surgery was for plaque blockage; has had 2 ultrasounds since surgery showing normal.

my question: is this normal? how long can it take for swelling to go down? if not normal, what should she be saying to her surgeon?

Answer:

You did not mention if there was an incision in the groin or just a needle puncture. If angioplasty was performed then there may have been some blood which oozed into the tissues after the procedure and caused a hematoma or collection of blood. This is like a big bruise and can take the body a good amount of time to heal it. An ultrasound of the groin and affected leg will help determine if there is presence of blood clot.

For more information:

Go to the Vascular Surgery health topic.