the wire saga continues

[wes]

happy new year everyone! I last wrote about a month ago asking for advice about a protruding wire. Well, the stitch eventually worked its way out and then I ended up trimming the rest of the wire. I don't know if you'd call it a wire - it looked more like fishing line. Anyway, I thought the top of my incision would finally heal, but it seems to have opened up again and has started releasing some kind of pus and other liquid material. Yikes! I put a gauze on it , but reopened the wound this morning because the gauze stuck to it like glue. I called my surgeon for advice (I have an appointment on the 7th anyway, but wanted to see what he thought). He told me it should be ok as long as I didn't have any incision pain (which I don't) or have a fever (which is also negative). My wife thought of a brilliant idea for covering the wound (she didn't like my idea of walking around all day shirtless in the freezing weather while waiting for my wound to scab up). Anyway, we just converted a plastic disposable contact lens case into a "wound cover"! We poked holes in it so that air could get in and then taped around all the edges. The size is just perfect! I have to take a picture to show everyone. I don't have any advice to ask this time, but just wondered if anyone else had the gauze sticking issue!

 

[Magic8Ball]

Nope but the top of my wound was also a bugger to heal....

I've heard it refered to as a 'bullet hole'.

I used some special tape used for closing wounds up, came in 5mm wide strips and cost a packet.....went through about 12 packets trying to keep it closed and agrivated all the skin around the hole also.

It eventually healed up and never got to the puss weaping stage.

 

[Nancy]

You'd better keep an eye on that weeping wound. Maybe clean it on the surface with lots of peroxide.

I do not like it that your surgeon is just letting it go. It could go on to get a much bigger infection.

I know that Joe had a similar situation after one of his surgeries, and they took him right in, cleaned out the area, and redressed it for him, and they did schedule followup appts. to keep an eye on it. Can't remember if they put him on antibiotics.

If this doesn't clear up very fast, you need to call the surgeon again and get in to see him.

You can get wound dressing that do not adhere to a weeping or bleeding wound. They have either a special coating on them or are made of special material.

 

[marky]

I had a spot that took a long time to heal too.. HOWEVER.. pus Is NEVER a good sign.
Better get that checked out straight away.

 

[netmiff]

I wouldn't let that go too long, how about seeing your family physician soon?

 

[Bina]

I had some infection just a couple of weeks post op, my steri strips were not falling off on schedule.
My home nurse confirmed that it was just a surface infection and that the yellow icky stuff was "debris".
She told me DO NOT use peroxide since I was only a couple of weeks post op, so we flushed it daily with a sterile saline solution. I then applied an antibiotic cream. We ordered special non stick pads and tape, this was a challenge because I am allergic to all tapes. The itch is worse than the wound.!!
The nurse also pointed out that if there is no fever and no pain, it is likely a surface infection.
Once most of the ickiness was under control, then I left it open to air for a few hours a day.
It's best to go to the doc and get a professional opinion.

 

[geebee]

Please get it checked. After my last OHS, I had an area similar to what you describe. It healed, opened up again, etc. I ended up with a massive infection under the skin and into the muscle that required the re-opening of the entire scar. The infection was so deep, the surgeon had to actually create hernias to clean the muscle properly. I still have herniated areas to this day that pop out and go back in. The only thing visible of this infection was a small open area on the scar.

I had no pain and no fever to speak of.

Yes, I am trying to scare you - any weeping area, especially one with pus, needs to be checked by a doctor. Much, much better to be safe than go through what I did.

 

[Mary]

Yes, Wes, you need to get it checked. I don't know if you can see someone before the 7th, but I would try.

 

[Lynlw]

I also would get it checked. Justin always has problems with disolving sutures, and 2 0f the times (out of 5 OHS) they ended up having big infections underneath. The ones that didn't need to be reopened had a clearer type discharge, kind of like when you pop a blister. The 2 times he had yellow pus he had a deep infection, when he was a baby they were able to just lance it and we did wet to dry dressings for a while. But this summer, he ended up having an infection in his sternum and all around his heart so had to have another surgery to clean everything out and 6 weeks of antibiotics. The reason we called was for the little discharge and the docs said the fact it was caught so early really helped,

 

[pamela]

I toss stitches post op, especially if there's not much muscle for the stitches to rest in. My knees, my sternum, once my scalp all had a stitch work through the scar and to the surface. I'd look for the bandaid brand wound dressings that remain on the skin but allow air in and keep water out. You can shower with them and they really do keep the site clean.

I actually had a stitch that needed to be trimmed back to the knot inside the incision, so that I could heal, it hurt, but that moment was better than the weeks of oozy and annoying open wound.

Best of luck with healing. You should get the wound looked at as soon as possible. Scar issues don't require a surgeon all the time, but they do require attention.

 

[Debster]

Yep-please get it checked. My mom got an infection in her scar after her OHS and ended up in the hospital again and then went home with weeks of picc line antibiotics-yuck. Please get it checked and let us know! Deb

 

[wes]

thanks for the wonderful feedback (as usual) everyone. i'll get it checked out ASAP.

 

[Jkm7]

My doctor had me clean my weeping incision area with diluted (2-1) Bentadine..... the orange disinfectant wash they use all over us at surgery. No peroxide. It had to be cleaned several times a day and I had a course of about 4 weeks antibiotics. The spot was only about 1" but was seeping pus and the concern is that it is infection in a location so close to the heart.

Please have it checked out by a professional. Don't wait. It won't get better on its own.

 

[hensylee]

PUS? Well, that already means infection. Be very careful. I'd be in the dr's office. I had pus in my ankle where a vein was removed and my dr told me to come right in. Wishing you all the best.

 

[Superbob]

Wes,

I, too, am glad to hear you're going to get it checked out ASAP. I agree with Nancy in not liking that your surgeon seemed to dismiss it so casually. Pus coming out of a wound is nothing to fool with. Don't want infection to set in.