Non closing wound

saundra
saundra Member Posts: 1,370 Member
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Looking for info on an incision that is having to be packed and leaking clear fluid (lots). mine seems to be getting worse (deeper) as it is not 10 cm on one spot. Have any of you had this with the incision after surgery? My second surgery incision was the same 14 inches up the other side of my navel. It is being packed every day. Saundra

Comments

  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #2
    Saundra......
    After my
    Saundra......

    After my surgery, the wound was healing outside-in, as opposed to inside-out, so my doctor reopened it and ordered a home health care nurse twice a day to pack it. Mine drained quite a lot, too. He had the nurses leave a "wick" sticking out of the wound.

    Eventually (and slowly) it did heal, but it took a good 6 weeks. If it had not shown steady progress, he would have ordered a wound vac. The up-side to those is that they hasten the healing process a lot.

    I usually am quick to heal, and never had a problem like this post-surgery. Cancer changes everything, though. Damn cancer.

    Carlene
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #3
    surgical wound
    Just to understand correctly...you have two incisions? One is 10cm deep and the other is 14inches long? Are there steri-strips in place? Is a home nurse doing the wound care? How close is the wound to your ostomy site? You did have an ostomy placed with this surgery, correct? Sorry to ask so many questions...just trying to get a clinical picture in my head.

    With my original surgery an area of my incision opened when they removed the staples. It required moist packing daily. I forget how long it took to heal and how big it was. It wasn't very big ... maybe 2 inches in length, I forget the depth. Some 'tunneling' had started that required packing too.

    The color of the drainage you described sounds good. This serous drainage you described is a wound healing byproduct that the body creates to help dilute the toxins produced by bacteria and toxic products being released from dying cells. The serous fluid helps to carry plasma proteins and leukocytes to the wound site. Lastly, the serous fluid assists in removing bacterial toxins, dead cells, debris, and other products of inflammation. If you find the packing is too wet when you remove it maybe the wound should be dressed twice a day.

    Of course, a strong odor, reddenss, swelling, pain and a fever could all be signs of infection and you should let your doctor know ASAP.

    Is the nurse measuring the wound daily? Follow the measurements with her so you are aware of the size. Note the color of the wound bed. Is it beefy red? Some white areas? Yellow areas in the wound bed should be assessed and followed. Ask your nurse what she thinks about how the wound healing.

    GOOD LUCK!
  • saundra
    saundra Member Posts: 1,370 Member
    #4
    Hissy_Fitz said:

    Saundra......
    After my
    Saundra......

    After my surgery, the wound was healing outside-in, as opposed to inside-out, so my doctor reopened it and ordered a home health care nurse twice a day to pack it. Mine drained quite a lot, too. He had the nurses leave a "wick" sticking out of the wound.

    Eventually (and slowly) it did heal, but it took a good 6 weeks. If it had not shown steady progress, he would have ordered a wound vac. The up-side to those is that they hasten the healing process a lot.

    I usually am quick to heal, and never had a problem like this post-surgery. Cancer changes everything, though. Damn cancer.

    Carlene

    Yeah
    That sounds like me. l'm headed back to Dallas on the 27th for a check in with the surgeon. I get packed once a day with the wick thingy. Better today. saundra
  • saundra
    saundra Member Posts: 1,370 Member
    #5
    nancy591 said:

    surgical wound
    Just to understand correctly...you have two incisions? One is 10cm deep and the other is 14inches long? Are there steri-strips in place? Is a home nurse doing the wound care? How close is the wound to your ostomy site? You did have an ostomy placed with this surgery, correct? Sorry to ask so many questions...just trying to get a clinical picture in my head.

    With my original surgery an area of my incision opened when they removed the staples. It required moist packing daily. I forget how long it took to heal and how big it was. It wasn't very big ... maybe 2 inches in length, I forget the depth. Some 'tunneling' had started that required packing too.

    The color of the drainage you described sounds good. This serous drainage you described is a wound healing byproduct that the body creates to help dilute the toxins produced by bacteria and toxic products being released from dying cells. The serous fluid helps to carry plasma proteins and leukocytes to the wound site. Lastly, the serous fluid assists in removing bacterial toxins, dead cells, debris, and other products of inflammation. If you find the packing is too wet when you remove it maybe the wound should be dressed twice a day.

    Of course, a strong odor, reddenss, swelling, pain and a fever could all be signs of infection and you should let your doctor know ASAP.

    Is the nurse measuring the wound daily? Follow the measurements with her so you are aware of the size. Note the color of the wound bed. Is it beefy red? Some white areas? Yellow areas in the wound bed should be assessed and followed. Ask your nurse what she thinks about how the wound healing.

    GOOD LUCK!

    No,
    The first incision was from the surgery (first debulking) three years ago. It and this one run vertical from pubis to sternum or 14 inches. No seristrips now and no staples. Surgery was the 5th. A certified home health wound care and stoma nurse comes every day. Wound is about 2 inches from stoma site. No sign of infection yet. Yes she measures the depth with a swab stick...10.5 cm yesterday and 9 today in the deepest tunnel. No pain. No white areas. Nurse has 22 years experience and talks to the Dallas surgeon daily. Saundra
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #6
    saundra said:

    No,
    The first incision was from the surgery (first debulking) three years ago. It and this one run vertical from pubis to sternum or 14 inches. No seristrips now and no staples. Surgery was the 5th. A certified home health wound care and stoma nurse comes every day. Wound is about 2 inches from stoma site. No sign of infection yet. Yes she measures the depth with a swab stick...10.5 cm yesterday and 9 today in the deepest tunnel. No pain. No white areas. Nurse has 22 years experience and talks to the Dallas surgeon daily. Saundra

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    #7
    After
    my last surgery, I got an infection, the doctor opened it back up, drained it all out, and it got packed daily for a couple months. Mine was 10 cm deep, then slowly got narrower and more shalllow. It weeped and weeped, although there was never an infection after the initial clean out. I thought it would never heal up.

    You are fortunate that the nurse can come daily to clean it. After coming back to Japan, I had to drive to the hospital daily. I will never forget the joy when it finally closed and I didn't have to do that any more.

    It sounds like you are in good hands, Saundra. Hang in there,

    Kathleen
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #8
    Hi Saundra,
    It sounds as if
    Hi Saundra,

    It sounds as if your wound healing is progressing in the right track.

    After my surgery, my wound also leaked a clear fluid profusely, however; as nancy said the clear drainage is usually a sign of the wound healing properly.

    It sounds like you are really in good hands which is essential to a great recovery.

    You are always in my prayers, so continue to get strong.

    Sharon
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #9
    Hi Saundra
    Sorry to hear you are still having problems after everything you have been through. I really hope things get better for you sonn.
    Love Tinax
  • RandiK
    RandiK Member Posts: 31
    #10
    Tina Brown said:

    Hi Saundra
    Sorry to hear you are still having problems after everything you have been through. I really hope things get better for you sonn.
    Love Tinax

    hey
    Hey Saundra, my Mom had her surgery in February and her incision wasn't healing very good either. When she went back to have her staples removed an area popped open and there was tunneling. I'm not sure right now what the measurements are. My Dad had to clean the area and pack it every day. The Dr finally had to go back and open up some more of the incision where there was tunneling. The Dr gave her something to put on the packing that has honey in it, and thats when she finally started seeing some results. She is a diabetic and of course that slows the healing down, but her Dr did tell her that the chemo will also hinder the healing. She still has a small open area, but like I said it's finally within the last 3 weeks started to heal.
  • Seeking_Enlightenment
    Seeking_Enlightenment Member Posts: 2
    #11
    Hi Saundra
    I have been lurking here for the last few months while recuperating from surgery in Dec 2009. Two weeks after a succesful debulking, I had a bout of vomiting so severe that I popped the staples on most of my wound. The wound was as long and as deep as yours...my husband referred to the depth as "Going Down to China" when the medical staff placed their hands inside to check. The surgeon ordered that the wound be packed twice a day for the next 3 weeks. Once the wound had sufficiently healed to allow the installation of a wound vac, a wound vac was ordered. The wound vac, a portable device to remove fluid from the wound quickly to enhance healing, was used for 7 weeks. The wound vac shrank the wound from 15x10cm to 7x5cm when it was discontinued. My husband was able to learn to change the wound vac dressing, which was done every 3 days. After 4 months, the wound is still 5x3cm, and heals very slowly due to ongoing chemo. I expect another 2 months of bandages before it finally closes.

    I hope you are feeling much better! Seeing the trees and plants SPRING to life this year has been a gift that has helped me heal physically as well as mentally from the long cold winter.

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