healing of the chest tube opening

[katm]

Went to see a infectious disease doctor today cuz prior to my discharge they decided that I had developed some phlebitis in my arms due to iv's gone bad. They put me on an antibiotic and it really didnt seem to nip it completely plus my chest tube incision stitches were taken out yesterday and one especially looked weepy. Anyways, doc put me on a new antibiotic and cultured the incisions. He wants to see me on Tuesday. Has anyone had any experience with what I just described?

 

[Guyswell]

Some of my chest tube incisions were also slow to heal. While my main incision was securely glued shut with super glue, the chest tube incisions were held shut by sutures that were removed about one-week post surgery. After my first surgery, I was advised to swab the chest tube incisions with betadine to prevent infection. After my second surgery, I had an incision that looked more red than the others. I applied some leftover Bactriban we had in the house. I applied it around the outside of the incision and was careful to keep it out of the open wound. In both cases, Everything healed up fine but it took a few weeks.

 

[katm]

Thanks for replying. The doc decided that we need to pack my incisions since there is till quite an opening. Luckily my husband knows how to do this. It does seem like it will take quite awhile to heal up.

 

[Sarah_Louise]

Hi Karm,
After my 4th OHS, my sternum scar popped open at the top to the point you could actually see my sternum, was about the size of a 2p possibly a little bigger, also where i was attached to the bypass machine in my leg all that popped open and was pretty infected, with both infections there was talk of surgery to clean out and re-stitch, but end up i had both of them cleaned, packed with surgical honey and dressed daily along with a lot of antibiotics, it healed up after about 5/6 months,
if i can help just ask good luck!!
Sarah xxx