# Med-Pro Question: Scar Tissue From An Appy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/med-pro-question-scar-tissue-from-an-appy/189614 "2003-07-19T18:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/med-pro-question-scar-tissue-from-an-appy/189614/1 "2003-07-19T18:51:06Z")
A **very** close friend of mine had an appendectomy a couple of years ago, and just this past year she’s noticed a hard growth of _something_ going up that side of her body. You can actually feel it under the skin! Well, she _finally_ went to see the surgeon who performed the surgery and he thinks it may just be scar tissue, so Friday she had an ultra-sound done and we’ll know the results Monday, but in the meantime, I wanted to ask how common this is, and why is it growing? She also tells me that she can press on the site and it can hurt and make her nauseous. She doesn’t show it, but I know she’s worried and so am I. I’m not a big supporter of online diagnoses and I’m not asking for that. Just wondering about the commonality of such a thing, so anything encouraging you have to offer will be most appreciated! And yes, I’ve given her the sermon about why she didn’t go to the doc when she first noticed it, but she’s in the medical profession herself (an RT, like me), and we seem to make the worst patients, so I didn’t push it. Also, what’s that gonna help? She’s scared enough as it is. Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/med-pro-question-scar-tissue-from-an-appy/189614/2 "2003-07-19T19:11:04Z")
Sounds like [adhesions](http://www.adhesions.org/faqs.htm), **Quasi**. They’re pretty common, and can cause problems weeks to decades after surgery. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/med-pro-question-scar-tissue-from-an-appy/189614/3 "2003-07-19T19:20:07Z")
As **Qad** said, it sounds like adhesions. I’ve experienced same, and more surgery (appendectomy in my case) was the treatment - the symptoms exactly mimicked appendicitis. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/med-pro-question-scar-tissue-from-an-appy/189614/4 "2003-07-19T21:29:42Z")
**Ringo** , so what you’re saying is that at the time she had the appy, she may have not had appendictis at all, but this adhesions problem was starting up, and they mistook the symptoms? How is your adhesions problem _now_? **Qad** , thanks so much for the information and the link. We’ll be taking a look at it together and get ourselves educated. I don’t want her to have **any** problems at all, but if she **has** to have something, I’d rather it be adhesions than a malignant tumor, even though from I read **they** can be a bugger as well. I _was_ surprised to read that insurance companies don’t really want to pay for surgery should adhesions be diagnosed. Anyway, thanks to both of you for your answers, and for keeping her in your thoughts, if you would. Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/med-pro-question-scar-tissue-from-an-appy/189614/5 "2003-07-19T21:58:08Z")
No, what I meant was that in my case the adhesions grew around my appendix and strangulated it, resulting in symptoms that appeared to be those of appendicitis. At that point the appendix had to come out, although I didn’t have appendicitis. IANAD, bu it’s my understanding that adhesions can be the result of scar tissue growing from any previous surgery, so your friend’s appendectomy may have treated her appendicitis and become the source of the adhesions. I have had no trouble since the adhesions surgery. Good luck to your friend. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/med-pro-question-scar-tissue-from-an-appy/189614/6 "2003-07-19T22:05:31Z")
No, what I meant was that in my case the adhesions grew around my appendix and strangulated it, resulting in symptoms that appeared to be those of appendicitis. At that point the appendix had to come out, although I didn’t have appendicitis. IANAD, bu it’s my understanding that adhesions can be the result of scar tissue growing from any previous surgery, so your friend’s appendectomy may have treated her appendicitis and become the source of the adhesions. I have had no trouble since the adhesions surgery. Good luck to your friend.