Hindsight: Have extra $$$ aside, if self-pay for plastics- Wound vac experience Anyone?...

Okaaaay, so just under 2 weeks post-op from medial thigh lift.  One upper inner thigh is totally split open, 6-8 inches in length, 2-3 inches wide, and 2-3 inches deep, at the connection of the two incisions.  I saw my doc 3 times last week, put on 2 different antibiotics for what was diagnosed as cellulitis, which apparently aren't working. On Friday, she said I needed a wound vac, but they didn't have one and they would have to order it.  She said ins. may or may not pay for it.  I said I didn't care, I just wanted to try and expedite the healing.  She tells me it may or may not speed up the healing time, and due to the holiday weekend, I'm looking at Tuesday to get one through the clinic (at least $100 a day, I'm told.)  On Saturday, the tissue is still disolving at both ends and increasing in width, hot, swollen, very painful.  I show it to a nurse friend who says I have to go be seen now - they have to have a wound care nurse.  I call the plastics doc on call (Resident fellow at University teaching hospital) and am told by her that if I go to the ER, I will be able to get a wound vac.  Sooo, I go in there, three hours later, am told that no, the only way I can get a wound vac is by being admitted and I don't meet the criteria.  This was decided by them taking a camera phone picture of the wound and sending the image to my doc.  My doc says, after looking at the picture, she thinks the wound is looking less red.  I tell them, it is still as hot and painful and it is still opening further.  They never did run any blood tests (maybe CBC would have been nice to actually rule out that the infection had subsided?).  They drew  blood, but threw it away.  They say they have no wound nurse, and for me to just keep dry packing it with gauze.  The only reason I went into the ER was that I was told I could get a wound vac.  Resident girl looked like she was going to cry when she told me I couldn't get one, after the fact.  Nice sentiment, but I'm the one who will be eating the ER bill now due to what she told me. 

Anyone have experience with a wound vac and did it help healing?  Just trying to hang in there until Tuesday...........

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to read that you're going through this.  I have no experience to share as I haven't had plastics yet but I do have a lot of sympathy and healing energy to send your way.  I'm sorry that you got such an awful run around at the ER, and your doctor should have some choice words for saying that it's looking better when clearly you're feeling so rotten.

Hang in there and do call your surgeon again tomorrow and keep leaving messages if you feel you're getting worse.  

I hope some people are able to share their wisdom with you.

I hope you get to sleep tonight.

How are you doing today? I don't have any words of wisdom, either, but I hope today is better. Please keep us posted!!

Laura

Sorry I understand it is trumatic to see your body open like this.  My dr. has had me packing my back with gauze soaked in daykins solution it is a water, baking soda and bleach solution.  It has taken five months of packing but I am finally to the point where not needing packed but still oozes quite a bit.    But I think the bleach and baking soda helped prevent infection you might ask your dr. if they thingk this might help.   The wound vac was suggested about 3/4 of the way through to me but when I found you might have to have a home health care nurse do the changing 2-3 times a week in addition to the cost of the machine decided the cost would be too much.   Hang in there I don' t know if psychologically I will ever be able to handle any more plastics due to this.