incision opened after extended brahioplasty HELP

So 2 weeks ago I had a TT and an extended brachioplasty. The area from the arm pit to the shoulder top area aka the tension area keeps splitting open. He restitched me 2 days after surgery. Since then 2 of the stitches opened up again. Everytime I go in for a visit he tells me to just keep it clean put antibiotic ointment on it and cover it with gauze and it will heel internally !!! Here I am flipping cause when I shower it stings and Im scared as hell that 2 of the stitches came out. One of the openings can fit the top of a finger !!! The surgeon says if he stitches it now that whatever bacteria was exposed to the opening will be trapped and it will cause an infection in the body. he says by letting it just drain out on its own and heal internally is the best way to have it.  I am so upset and depressed over this. Has this happened to anyone else ? If so what did your surgeon do abt your opened incision? I always thought restitching it was the way to fix this but according to me dr its not the way to go. I really could use some advice from someone that might of had an experience like this. I am so confused and nervous. PLEASE HELP.  thanks

I'm sorry I cant offer you any advice on the situation, but I can say that I have heard the same thing about not being able to sew up an incision. I can completely understand why you're upset about this, and this is going to be easier said than done, but please try to relax and take your mind off of it for a little while. I hope that things get better for you soon, and I know that a lot of people here have experience with incisions opening up and having to heal from the inside out so hopefully a few of them will chime in here and offer you some words of wisdom!

Alicia,
I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this. My brachioplasty incision didnt open up, but my LBL incision, on my right hip opened up. It IS true, they do not want to resuture it because the risk of infection. In my situation the opened area on my hip was about one inch long. Again they didnt resuture it, but I was instructed to keep it clean, dry, and covered with a sterile gauze. I followed up with my primary on a weekly basis until it was completely healed.
I hope this helps you and though my situation is different from yours, I hope this gives you some kind of piece of mind . I wish you the best.

Marianne

Thank you ladies for your kind words. I am trying to deal with this without getting to upset. I just didnt expect the incision to open and thought maybe my dr. didnt know what he was doing afterall. I never went through this being it was my first plastic surgery. Jax0601 I am relieved to hear your story and that your surgeon told you the same thing. I feel better knowing it isnt just me and even better knowing my surgeon isnt the only one out there who handles this situation the way he does. Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. I have found comfort in that, although I am sorry that you had to experience that at all. I know it's terrible. When I shower it is the worst because the water hitting the open wound makes it sting !! I am sure I will get past this and be happy with the outcome. He did a wonderful job on me overall. Thank you again ladies and have a blessed day.

Same thing happened to my armpit area and my surgeon said no no no to restitching. He said it would just open back up and that it needed to heal from the inside out. I had to put antibiotic cream on it daily making sure to wash off the old, and cover it with gauze.  And yes it healed very quicky.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. It really helps me out knowing this is something that has happened after this particular surgery.  I am glad to hear that it healed quickly for you. I hope that it heals quickly for me also ! 

 This is more common than you think.  My surgeon told me the 2 week period was the magic zone for that happening.  It also happened to me.  I had to let mine heal from the inside out, too.

It was more distressing for me to think about and look at than it really was.  It healed in about 2-4 more weeks.  Just keep it clean.

I really understand how you feel as I just had both my underarms and belly button re-stitched at the doctor's office yesterday.  That was bad enough, but today my underarms are so sore I could scream!  I developed a massive infection in both arms after surgery last month and have been having IV antibiotics for some weeks.  The infection is finally resolving, so dr. went ahead and re-stitched several open places on my incisions.  I am praying it stays closed this time.  For a couple of weeks I have been using ointment and gauze, with little effect, so hope this does the trick.
  Good luck to you and I hope your incisions heal soon.

9 years ago, I had an emergency  hysterectomy. My doctor warned me because my hemoglobin was so low, it left me at a higher risk for infection. He knew what he was talking about. Exactly one week later, I was rushed to the ER with a staph infection so serious I could have died. I was operated on in the ER...they opened the wound even more and I had an open cut from my stomach lining up and from hip to hip. I had home nursing care for 2 months...twice a day to change the packed dressings.
An infected wound should never be stitched over and has to heal from the inside out. Sounds like you have a great doctor...and if it had to open up somewhere, under your arm isn't too bad?
I wish you good healing and hope things go better for you!!

Heidi