Surgery complication

butchl
butchl Member Posts: 11
in Esophageal Cancer #1

My brother was diagnosed with E C stage 2 in Oct 2014 and went through chemo and radiation treatments.  He had a transhiatis esophaectomy on March 5 2015.  The surgery lasted 5 hrs and everything went well and was discharged 10 days later.  He had a very large opening in his abdomen tbat needed a dressing change 2 times a day which his wife and  I  were told that we would be doing this at home.  We were given instructions how to do it but was somewhat overwhelming because just finding out on the day he was going home.  We did manage to do the dressing change that evening and it went well.  The next day a home health nurse was to do the dressing change and we would do the evening change.  After the home health nurse finished changing the dressing and left he started having a lot of pain( maybe  a couple hours after) so we did not know what was happening so i called the nurse and asked if I could give him another pain pill she said that it would be ok, we did'nt know if we should change the dressing because of the pain but we decided to at about 10 oclock that night.  When we started to remove tbe dressing we saw the bowel had come out.  We quickly covered it and called ambulance.  He was taken back into surgery.  The surgery went ok and he was discharged again with a wound vac device.  He is doing ok but slow recovery.  I am wandering if anyone has ever been sent home after this surgery with an open wound like he had.  Thank you for any response.

 

  Butch's sister

Vicki

Comments

  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,392 Member
    #2
    I had an open wound at discharge

    When I had my Ivor Lewis surgery in 2009 I got an infection in my incisions while I was in the hospital. They had to re-open the incisions for the infection to heal and therefore I went home with a large open incision in my back. I wore a wound vac for about a month while the incision healed. The wound vac accelerated the healing process but changing the dressing with the wound vac was challenging. We had a home health care nurse come to the house every other day to change he dressing until the wound vac was no longer required.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams

    McCormick, South Carolina
    DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009
    Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU - Four Year Survivor

     

  • scoot108
    scoot108 Member Posts: 19
    #3
    I had the Transhiatal
    I had the Transhiatal surgery. I had a leak and infection at the upper attachment point. They reopened my neck incision to get the infection out and reheal. I came home with a wound vac and had a nurse come to do the dressing changes. To be honest not a lot of fun but you do what you have to. I was nothing by mouth for three months while it healed. All j tube. Wish you the best.

    Scott
  • butchl
    butchl Member Posts: 11
    #4
    scoot108 said:

    I had the Transhiatal
    I had the Transhiatal surgery. I had a leak and infection at the upper attachment point. They reopened my neck incision to get the infection out and reheal. I came home with a wound vac and had a nurse come to do the dressing changes. To be honest not a lot of fun but you do what you have to. I was nothing by mouth for three months while it healed. All j tube. Wish you the best.

    Scott

    Did you have an opening in

    Did you have an opening in your abdomen too? He is having a dry cough after he eats.  He did not have a feedi ng tube was taking liquids 3 days after surgery.  Any suggestions for cough.  He has good days and bad.   Thank you for all help.  I tell him a day  at a time.  

  • butchl
    butchl Member Posts: 11
    #5
    paul61 said:

    I had an open wound at discharge

    When I had my Ivor Lewis surgery in 2009 I got an infection in my incisions while I was in the hospital. They had to re-open the incisions for the infection to heal and therefore I went home with a large open incision in my back. I wore a wound vac for about a month while the incision healed. The wound vac accelerated the healing process but changing the dressing with the wound vac was challenging. We had a home health care nurse come to the house every other day to change he dressing until the wound vac was no longer required.

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams

    McCormick, South Carolina
    DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009
    Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU - Four Year Survivor

     

    Thank you for your response.

    Thank you for your response.  We only had the wound vac for about 5 days.  It was suppose to be 1 week but hosp messed up and did not send enough cannisters home with us.  So Doc told home health nurse to remove dressing.  We hope it was on long enough.  We will see Doc on the 7th day.  Did you have a dry cough aftef surgery?

  • scoot108
    scoot108 Member Posts: 19
    #6
    Hi,
    I did not have any other
    Hi,

    I did not have any other open wounds other than the neck that was opened for the infection. I did have to change the dresssing around the j- tube daily. I also had the persisrent cough for quite some time. I was on Lisonopril for high blood pressure. My doctor switched me to a different medication and said that any med that ends in " pril " contributes to coughing. It did seem to help for me. I'm sorry but it can be a long slow recovery. Meals need to be very small and carefully figure out what foods work better than others. Vomiting and diareaha can be common for quite sometime. Good luck.

    Scott
  • LovingMummy
    LovingMummy Member Posts: 3
    #7
    scoot108 said:

    I had the Transhiatal
    I had the Transhiatal surgery. I had a leak and infection at the upper attachment point. They reopened my neck incision to get the infection out and reheal. I came home with a wound vac and had a nurse come to do the dressing changes. To be honest not a lot of fun but you do what you have to. I was nothing by mouth for three months while it healed. All j tube. Wish you the best.

    Scott

    Neck would leak

    My son also had neck wound leak on the night where next day he was to be released to go home. The wound had to be opened up all stiches removed and he stayed another 10 days at the hospital. The cut was then kept open as it can not be stitched again. The dressing of the wound was very painful as the gauze strip had to be inserted in to the passage till the nect joint was connecting..the healing had to take place inside out. No numbing procedure was used and such goading into live cut , you would imagine how painful it can be! Of course, my son was applauded by each and every nurse and the doctors who came to do the dressing or checking the wound that he was the bravest of all patients they have come across so far. He would bear the pain at his best. And even when the nurse came to give pain med, and ask what is the pain level, he would say "ninish" and yet he had a smile on his face. I had to tell him, son, show what you are feeling, don't try to hide your pain... And even after 15 days when he was released to go home, his wife had to to the dressing. The home help nurse would come only 2 to 3 days a week!

    His voice is almost like whispering tone and even after 2 months it is the same. He gets coughing bouts if talks 2-3 sentences. Do you have problem with your voice?

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