Incision

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DreamOnDeb
DreamOnDeb Member Posts: 112
edited September 2017 in Kidney Cancer #1

Since my husband had a full nephrectomy (robotic, laparoscopic), he had to have one larger incision below his belly button (about 3 inches long where they pulled the kidney out).  All of the other laparoscopic incisions have now healed completely and they look really good.  This larger one has closed on the top, closed on the bottom, but is a little open in the middle and hasn't completely closed yet.  Is this normal?  It's just a little red surrounding the incision (the redness hasn't spread out at all), he doesn't have a fever.  They put stitches underneath and glue on top.  The glue has since flaked off.  I'm just wondering if we should have it looked at or not.   

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  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
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    Perfectly normal

    Deb,

     

    My beauty marks still show 15 years later, but if you want the neighbor ladies to take a look that sounds perfectly fine. You can also have the doctor check it out as well,

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • DreamOnDeb
    DreamOnDeb Member Posts: 112
    #3
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    icemantoo said:

    Perfectly normal

    Deb,

     

    My beauty marks still show 15 years later, but if you want the neighbor ladies to take a look that sounds perfectly fine. You can also have the doctor check it out as well,

     

     

    Icemantoo

    You always crack me up,

    You always crack me up, Iceman!  I love your sense of humor! Laughing

  • todd121
    todd121 Member Posts: 1,448 Member
    edited September 2017 #4
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    Healing

    My first surgery healed very nicely and I had a really large incision (4 inches) along my right side. However, my second surgery I had major problems with the healing. It turned out I was allergic to the surgical glue. My body reacted badly to it on the second surgery. My incisions didn't hold well. They because red, inflamed, and some opened a little. The healing in this case was extremely slow.

    He should have a follow-up scheduled to look at the wounds/healing in any case like 4-6 weeks after the surgery? Watch for heat, discharge, smell, fever. Any of those, do not wait for an appointment. I would go to the ER/critical care. I wouldn't mess around with an infection.

    Best to you,

    Todd

  • DreamOnDeb
    DreamOnDeb Member Posts: 112
    #5
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    todd121 said:

    Healing

    My first surgery healed very nicely and I had a really large incision (4 inches) along my right side. However, my second surgery I had major problems with the healing. It turned out I was allergic to the surgical glue. My body reacted badly to it on the second surgery. My incisions didn't hold well. They because red, inflamed, and some opened a little. The healing in this case was extremely slow.

    He should have a follow-up scheduled to look at the wounds/healing in any case like 4-6 weeks after the surgery? Watch for heat, discharge, smell, fever. Any of those, do not wait for an appointment. I would go to the ER/critical care. I wouldn't mess around with an infection.

    Best to you,

    Todd

    Thanks, Todd!  He did have a

    Thanks, Todd!  He did have a follow-up at 4 weeks and everything was fine.  There is no heat, discharge, smell or fever.  Maybe I just didn't notice that it looked a little wider in the middle before.....I don't know.  I looked at it again tonight when I got home and it actually looks better today.

  • Bay Area Guy
    Bay Area Guy Member Posts: 618 Member
    #6
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    Deb, I had a couple of pretty

    Deb, I had a couple of pretty major abdominal surgeries, including one where I had to wear an ileostomy bag for about 2-1/2 months while my intestines healed.  When the ileostomy was reversed, I had a similar incision to what your husband had.  Andit healed the same way.  The top and bottom would close up a little each day, and my wife and I would have to swab out the part of the wound that hadn't closed yet.  (As an aside, it's pretty freaky to see the tip of a cotton swab go into your abdomen.)  It sounds to me like the wound is healing very nicely.  Mine, if I recall correctly (this was in 2010) took about 6 weeks to completely close.

  • DreamOnDeb
    DreamOnDeb Member Posts: 112
    #7
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    Thank you Bay Area Guy!  He

    Thank you Bay Area Guy!  He is a little less than six weeks out now.  I do think that this will be OK.  All of the other laparoscopic incisions healed very nicely.....you can barely notice anything at all.  It's amazing.  Again, thank you for your input!  

  • hardo718
    hardo718 Member Posts: 853 Member
    edited October 2017 #8
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    Sounds good

    When in doubt consult with the doc tho.  (as a side, I refer to my abdomen as I now have five belly buttons.  I'm just that special.....haha)

    Donna~

     

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