Son Is To Have a Procedure To Remove a Skin Tag And Surgeon Asked About Vaccine Status

[southwds]

I hope someone can help me with this soon as I am concerned, let me share the story and any ideas or anything you have is greatly welcome and appreciated.

My 4 year old son is non vax, he has a skin tag on the edge of his bottom lip that has been there for 5 or so months so I took him to a plastic surgeon, they want to put him under general anesthetic and cut it off. That in itself is concerning but I feel the growth needs to come off so I sucked that part up. Now today my hubby says the office called regarding post op questions and asked if my son was current on his vaccinations, my husband did not know what to say so he said yes. Now I started thinking about that and I do not know if that was the right thing to do, I wonder if they asked because of possibly the tetnus issue or something? Should I call them tomorrow and tell them the he has not been vaxed? Is there a worry about him not being vaxed that has to do somehow with the surgery? I am not sure what to do here. I don't want to put him in anymore peril than I already am with the anesthetic.

I have been blessed so far in that my son has not had any type of serious illnesses or injuries that would require any type of invasive medical procedures or anything like that and this is why I am kind of freaking out about this whole situation.

Help!

[Happily Blessed]

Call.  Its the only way to ease your mind :)

[cristeen]

I'd probably seek a second opinion.  Unless the skin tag is HUGE and will require multiple stitches, GA is overkill.  I've had dozens of skin tags removed, one of which was right next to my eye (in my eyelashes), and the most they ever did was a topical (most of them didn't even need that).  At 4 yo, your average kid can be given a topical anesthetic and told not to move for the 3 seconds it takes to remove a tag.  That would make the entire vax issue moot. 

[southwds]

You know I thought it was a bit much also but they are insisting that a 4 year old will not hold still long enough or well enough, the family doc said the same thing today as I asked him about while I was there. The skin tag is right on the tip of the bottom lip dead in the middle. The surgeon said they will do a dissovable stitch and a regular stitch to be taken out in the office later. It is about average size I guess not huge or anything.

So I started wondering today, could the tetnus be the reason they are asking.....

Thanks for responding and thanks to the other poster who responded also I really appreciate it.

[LisaSedai]

Whenever you go to the hospital for anything they want your past medical history, which vaccination information is a part. You get tetanus when bacteria in the soil from manure (esp. horse poop) enter a wound such as a puncture with a nail, animal bite or compound fracture (the bone breaks through the skin.) The bacteria need to be away from air to survive. As long as your boy isn't out in the garden rubbing dirt into his wound he should be safe from tetanus. Sorry he's having to go through the surgery.

[southwds]

So do you feel it is an issue of some sort that he is not vaxed? They asked the same question at the plastic surgeon but it was more of a statement than a question as she just assumed without waiting for the answer so it was more or less glossed over. The post op nurse asking again today makes me think there may be an important reason they are asking. My common sense side says, well it is a sterile enviroment what could he get from there that they make a childhood vaccine for. But since I am not a surgeon, I am not 100% sure as to the reason. But if it is just an FYI thing then I am less worried about it. I wonder if they would not do the procedure if I told them he was not vaxed.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

[southwds]

I wanted to add that if they don't want to do the procedure because he is not vaxed that is fine I just don't want him to have any issues should there be a valid reason they are asking his vax status other than for informational purposes.

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by southwds 

I wanted to add that if they don't want to do the procedure because he is not vaxed that is fine I just don't want him to have any issues should there be a valid reason they are asking his vax status other than for informational purposes.

they mite be asking because he may be around someone in the hosp. who is immune compromised, and can't be around a vax shedding child...my hosp had no problem with my nonvax daughter when it came to her appendix out and her other surgeries too.  No one ever questioned me about it or anything. No one even batted an eye.

[Chloebelle]

I went in to the ER with my DD for a candy up her nose and they asked about her vaccine status. I assume prying into your children's vaccine status is pretty much common practice anytime you are in the clutches of the medical establishment. I can't imagine Tetanus would be an issue in removing a skin tag. And I also agree that GA seems to be overkill. I'd get a second opinion.