Amitabh to undergo another surgery

MUMBAI: Less than a week after undergoing back-to-back sugeries for hernia, Amitabh Bachchan is likely to undrgo another one soon. The superstar tweeted on Thursday, saying it could be a while before he got out of hospital.

Authorities at Seven Hills Hospital in Marol, where the actor underwent the surgeries last week, remained tight-lipped about why he needed to go under the knife yet again. However, TOI has learnt from people in the know that the superstar might have developed post-operative hematoma (clotting of blood outside the blood vessels).

"He has developed hematoma in the site of the previous surgery, and this surgery will be required to drain the clot," the source said. "In several cases, the mesh (patch) that is used to repair the hernia gives rise to this complication. Mesh is, after all, a foreign body and may not be accepted well."

Experts that TOI spoke to said while hematoma was a known complication following a hernia operation, it was only in rare cases that a surgical intervention was required to treat it.

Bachchan had undergone surgery for bilateral inguinal hernia, a condition caused by protrusion of tissues through the abdominal wall.

Bachchan has said in his tweets that he has been in pain even after the surgery, which doctors say is one of the classic symptoms of hematoma. The hematoma may be as tiny as a drop of blood or large, causing swelling. In Bachchan's case, it could be slightly more than a tiny clot.

Post-surgery Bachchan had tweeted how his pain around the abdomen had not disappeared. On Wednesday night, he tweeted, "The pain remains... not at the site of the wound but in the stomach... more investigations... CT scans, X-rays... still in Hospital!" On Thursday, he tweeted, "Some more tests... more unpronounceable medication and another visit to the OT... operation theatre! Going to be a long stay.''

The next surgery will be Bachchan's fifth after the 1982 incident during the shooting of his film Coolie when he was grievously injured during a fight scene. He had remained critically ill in hospital for many months, and had the entire country praying from his recovery.

But this time, Bachchan said, he at least knew who was praying for him. "There were many hundreds that prayed then in 1982, but were faceless and distant.., now they are with face name and 'handle'. How times change! During 1982 'Coolie' episode, I used to keep all your prayers under my pillow... now... on Twitter and Blog!''