Open Surgery Recovery

My ulcer revision/possible reversal is tomorrow morning.  I was nervous before when i thought they would be doing it laparscopically.  Now it is going to be an open surgery.  My surgeon feels that if they open me up they'll have better access to everything and I will be more likely to wake up with a revision.  For those of you who had open RNY, what was your recovery like?  I had a hard time with pain after my lap RNY.  I don't even want to think about how bad it could be this time.  I am curious what to expect though.  Did you have to wear a binder?  How big was your scar?  How bad was the pain?

My open RNY scar went all the way from the bottom of my breastbone to my waist.  They gave me a binder, but it actually hurt more than it helped (I am short so it was too long) so I only wore it for a couple of days.  I had a lot of pain the first week, buit it was better the second week (although I continued the pain meds that second week.. just not as often).  I took the pain meds at night for a while beyond that.  The pain was considerable but not as much as with my hernia repair or my tummy tuck!

Good luck tomorrow.  I hope they are able to just do a revision.

Lora

 I had open rny and my complications had nothing to do with the openness...of it. I had a lot of pain for the first day or so but I've talked to a bunch of people who had it done lap and I don't think I had it much harder. I think it might be harder for the first day or so. But it wasn't that bad. I slept in a recliner for two weeks which I think helped me a lot. 

Lora, I don't think I will like the binder for the same reason.  I'm 5'3" and have a short torso.  They said they will open me from sternum to just above my belly button. 

I'm getting pretty nervous.  The hardest part for me is not knowing what I'll be waking up with.  He feels like if he dose it open then he'll be able to handle my pouch and will have a better chance of keeping my bypass in tact.  I really don't want a reversal, but with everything that has happened they need to get the ulcers out one way or another.  3 months and 2 blood transfusions after my initial diagnosis is enough. 

I don't have a lap procedure to compare it to but my open surgeries (RNY, bowel resection, hernia repair)  were all OK.  I do tend to have abdominal spasms the 1st 1-2 days and they are killers- I thought I was going to tear myself apart.

After the spasms resolve the pain is easy to handle.  It only really hurts when you move, or cough, you don't get gas pains.

Good luck

Pup