A pelvic abscess is usually known to occur after acute appendicitis or infections relevant to gynecology are met. A complication of Crohn's disease, post abdominal surgery or diverticulitis can also cause Pelvic abscess. Infected pus or fluid in abscess is separated with a wall by inflammatory tissues. Before a pelvic abscess is detected and may cause a patient to become sick, it is quite possible that it may have grown quite big and then surgery may become inevitable.
Signs and Symptoms / Indications:
- Pelvic Abscess may have following signs and symptoms:
- Feeling discomfort in the lower abdomen and pelvis.
- Having severe vaginal discharge, which has an unpleasant odor.
- Having unusual uterine bleeding during or after sexual intercourse, or amid menstrual periods.
- Fever, sometimes with coldness
- Frequent Urination
- Diarrhea
- Pelvic pain or tenderness
Tests and Diagnosis for Pelvic Abscess:
Diagnosis:
A pelvic exam, an analysis of vaginal discharge and cervical cultures, or urine tests can help a doctor to diagnose pelvic inflammatory disease. The doctor would first check the pelvic region for signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Cotton swabs are used then to take samples from the patient's vagina and cervix. The samples are used to analyze at a lab to decide the organism that is triggering the infection.
The doctor might recommend other tests to ascertain how widespread the infection:
- Urine and Blood test- White blood cell count is measured by these tests. Considering the count, doctors evaluate the severity of the infection and determine markers that say about inflammation. Tests for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, which are at times linked with PID may also be advised.
- Laparoscopy- During this procedure, doctors insert a slender, bright instrument through a small cut in the patient's abdomen to view the pelvic organs.
- Ultrasound- Using sound waves, images of thereproductive organs are taken by this test.
Types Of Treatment:
Once pelvic abscess is diagnosed, doctors would treat the cause of it. The abscess may be treated with antibiotics and drainage of the pus subsequently.
Antibiotics:
- Generally, antibiotics are prescribed to treat the abscess. They are taken up to four to six weeks. IV antibiotics are taken at hospital and home.
- Patients should take all antibiotics even if they are feeling better.
Drainage:
An abscess needs to be drained out to release pus. A doctor only suggests the best way for this.
Applying Needle to drain -
- A needle is put through the skin and into the abscess taking the help of X-Rays.
- During the process, medicine is given to make the patient sleepy and to make the skin numb before the needle is inserted into the patient's skin.
- Once a sample of the abscess is tested in a lab, the doctor then decides which antibiotics are to be used.
- Until the abscess gets better, a drain is left in it so that pus can be taken out. It may be for some days or weeks.
Surgery:
Depending upon the severity of the disease, at times, a doctor advises to go for surgery to clean out the abscess.
Before The Surgery:
With sufficient information, patients should be prepared both mentally and physically for the surgery.Before going to surgery one may always opt for an alternative solution.When no alternative solutions are met, they are then advised to go for this surgery. Here are a few precautions to be taken care before surgery-
- Smoking- It is advisable to stop smoking before the surgery.Smokers may have breathing problems during it.
- Other Complications- If patients have problems with blood pressure, heart, or lungs, they should make their doctor aware of them for having treatment before the surgery.
- Attendants- A reliable friend or relative can be preferred to come with the patient to hospital, take careat home, and look after for the first week after the operation.
During The Surgery:
- General anesthesia is used to carry out this surgery. A general anesthesia would make the patient slow, inept and oblivious for about 24 hours.
- Initially, an incision is made in the belly area.
- Laparotomy requires a larger cut.
- Laparoscopy involves a very small cut and a tiny video camera.
- Cleaning and draining out the abscess are carried out then.
- A drain is used in the abscess until it gets better.
- Patients may have a drip tube in an arm vein attached to a plastic bag on a stand, having a salt solution or blood.
- They may have a fine plastic tube coming out of the nose. They may also have another plastic tube connected to a bag to drain their stomach.
- The patient would also have a rubber tube attached to the wound where surgery has been performed.
- The tube is attached to a plastic bag and may be used to drain the pus and fluids from the abscess.
- They may be given oxygen for a few hours.
- They are given tablets or injections to control the post-surgery pain.
After The Surgery:
- Patients feel very tired and need rest for a month or more after the surgery
- They can upsurge their walking by an extra 50 yards each day.
- They mustn't go for weighty lifting.
- They can resume sexual relations after three weeks when the wound is well-heeled.
- They can go back to a light job after one month. May go for a heavy job after two months or more.
Possible Complications:
Complications may include:
- Other abscesses can come to light.
- Sometimes the wound drainage goes on and on.
- The abscess may not be drained out fully.
- The abscess may recur.
- The abscess may trigger severe illness and an infection related to bloodstream.
- The infection might extend to other parts of the body.
Factors affecting the Cost of Abscess Pelvic Treatment:
- The hospital,a patient opts for
- Fees for a doctor or surgeon
- Cost of tests and diagnostic processes
- Cost of treatment or surgery
- Cost of supplementary care required
- Physiotherapy cost