Wound not healing

[Lusi]

Hello

This is my first post here. I'm a few weeks post op - surgery was on 22/1/09. AVR MVR and tricuspid repair.

Mostly its gone very well - except for the achey pains in my back and sides!

And I still have a small problem with the top 1cm of the scar which isnt healing. Most of it had closed up with 2 -3 weeks. But the last bit is quite stubborn and today it looks worse again. I have a GP visit later on.

Does any body else have any experience with their wound not healing evenly or quickly?

Thanks

Lusi

 

[kfay]

A lot of times, that top part of the incision holds the knot from where they sewed you up. You may or may not be able to see the knot itself, but I would bet there is one there. Because of that, that area can take longer to close. Sometimes, the sutures themselves may work their way out right there. My scar from my first surgery was like that, but not the second. I would definitely have your GP look at it to make sure there is no infection there. Hopefully, it will close on it's own with time and you won't have to do anything else with it.

Kim

 

[Bina]

Hello and welcome.
The top of my incision stayed open also, but mine was slightly infected, so my home nurse helped me care for it.
We flushed it with a sterile saline solution, applied antib cream, and non stick bandage.
Once the infection was gone, I would leave it open to air as much as possible.
Hopefully yours is not infected, best to let your doc check that out.
Also, try to avoid clothing that irritates it further.
Mine took months and months to heal....it just kept splitting. (I am thin and there is no meat or fat under that area.)

 

[blkrino]

Lusi tell them to keep an eye on your open scar. A month after my operation I had an infection that took two months to get rid of.
Hope it's nothing to worry about.

Reinhard

 

[Lusi]

Hallo all
Thank you for your replies, I appreciate it.
It sounds like it isnt very nice if you get an infection.
Its strange because most of it has healed up really quickly. Its just this one little bit atthe top.
This afternoon it doesnt look so good again and it's making me worried.
Anyway, I'll let the GP have a look at it in a couple of hours and hopefully it will will settle down.

Lusi

 

[WayneGM]

My experience echos what's already been said. The achy back and sides were normal, too. Welcome to VR. Glad you decided to post.

 

[ctyguy]

The top 1/2 inch or so of my incision didn't heal until nearly 10 weeks post-op. When I first came home I kept it dry and exposed per the hospital. Slowly it crusted over but at 6 weeks I still had probably 50% without scabs. At night I would wear a shirt so my incision didn't stick to the sheets. So instead it would stick to the shirt and pull off. The top of my incision looked like a big ol teardrop upside down, probably 1/2 to 3/4 inch long.

I went to my GP at 8 weeks, didn't like the looks of it as it was gooy and not quite clear. While the GP was off getting something for a culture sample the nurse (who was probably mid-50s) took a look at the incision and simply took some gauze and gave a few good firm wipes top to bottom. It stung a bit but only for a moment. It started to bleed a bit also which is according to her was a good thing, it promotes healing. More importantly the clear gooy crap was gone also. She put a gauze strip over it and told me to keep it covered for 2 weeks. You can get 2 1/2 inch X 4 inch strips at CVS. They are spendy, about a buck a pop so I went through about $30.00 for the dressing. Change the dressing at least once a day, keep it dry when you shower. When you change it put a dab of neosporin on the incision.
The GP gave me a 3 day antibiotic therapy as well. It took about 3 - 4 weeks from the GP visit till it was completely healed.

 

[Curtsmum]

Welcome to the forum, sorry you have to go through that after surgery, hope it heals soon, all the best.

 

[hensylee]

glad you will be asking your dr. I had an infection in my leg where the saphenous vein was removed for bypass. yes, a thread did it.

 

[hall]

WELCOME! Hope it heals. Let us know what the doctor says.

 

[Lusi]

Hi all,
Quick update. It's now 19/03/09 - 3 weeks since I posted about my problem.
My wound is still not healing :-O, in fact it's now getting wider. I been going back to the GP every few days to get it dressed
The good news: they tell me it isn't infected. But it just wont close over
I don't know how long this problem will take to clear up.
At least my heart seems to be "ticking" along nicely

 

[zipper2]

Hi all,
Quick update. It's now 19/03/09 - 3 weeks since I posted about my problem.
My wound is still not healing :-O, in fact it's now getting wider. I been going back to the GP every few days to get it dressed
The good news: they tell me it isn't infected. But it just wont close over
I don't know how long this problem will take to clear up.
At least my heart seems to be "ticking" along nicely

Hi,welcome Lusi,i had my surgert jan 22 and took some time for top
knot to heal,i kept dressing off,and let air naturally.
now it's healed but tender yet to touch,mind you,when i was in icu
one of nurses was taking my dressing off and his hand slipped and i
took a punch there in the knot areaboy that hurt for some time
and increased the swelling to taking longer to heal for me.
at least it's not infected and your Gp is aware and keeping an eye
different healing for all of us but does your Gp,think theres a problem
with it not closing over yet? That is a tender area in my opinion.

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[Eva]

Welcome aboard, Lusi,

I have no answer for you but glad that you GP is taking care of it and no infection there. Mine was most tender for a long time and now I feel the knot Kim spoke about in her post...this hurts now and I shall ask my surgeon about it tomorrow.

 

[Bina]

Lusi, the top of mine took a very long time to be closed, and even now after 3 years the skin layer is very thin and fragile.