Anyone heal by secondary intention?

Hi Everyone:

I had an anchor cut abdominoplasty and breast reduction on April 25th. I'm REALLY happy with the results, but I have had a particularly difficult recovery. I'm ALMOST done now, though!!! At the point where the vertical and horizontal abdominal incisions meet, the wound has not yet healed completely. I've had to pack the wound with saline soaked gauze twice a day since mid-May. The wound has shrunk from silver dollar size and open all the way down to my abdominal wall, to less than the diameter of a q-tip and about 1/2 inch deep, but it still hasn't closed completely.  No infection, thankfully, and I didn't lose any skin, so that's good.

Anyone else have to go through this? Just curious how often this happens.

Thanks,

Kim

Im having anchor cut next Saturday. I have heard where the 2 meet is a weak point and it happens sometimes. How far out where you when it opened?

I did have one place open after a different procedure and it took forever for it to heal. You are blessed that it hasn't gotten infected and that its healing....slowly but healing. Praying it heals soon so you can enjoy your new body.

I was about 3 weeks out when it opened up. I thought I was healing well, but when my surgeon was checking my wound, he discovered a seroma. After draining it, I was left with the open area at that point where the two incisions meet.

I really do feel blessed that it is healing and has not become infected. To have an open wound for so long, and to not have it become infected, is truly amazing.

I had so many things go wrong after my surgery that were totally unrelated to the work my surgeon did. I developed GI bleeding in response to the pain meds, which caused me to become severely anemic. Because of the anemia, I had to have 2 blood transfusions, an IV of iron, and weekly B12 shots. And now, I have a cerebral aneurysm and may be having brain surgery. All of this is unrelated to the plastic surgery, really, but it has added to making my recovery more emotionally challenging overall.  I feel like I'm coming around the other side and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. And, I'm already really enjoying my new body!!!

Blessings,

Kim

 Hi Kim,

 I had anchor TT and thigh lift on July 16th, and I have had healing issues both at the T's in my groin area where the horizontal and vertical incisions of the thighs meet, and on my belly at the T-juncture too. My surgeon explained that these are the points that get most stressed, and I can see/feel that for myself as well.

For my thighs, my doc put in a few exterior sutures for a few weeks to help reduce the pulling, and I put on polysporin and gauze a few times a day. No added sutures on the tummy but I did cover it the same way for a while because that one was draining a bit. I was also on oral antibiotics for a week to make sure the tummy one didn't get infected.

Knock wood, things seem to be healing better in all of those areas, and the doc took the sutures out this week. Unfortunately my groin incision has opened up a bit since I started exercising, but not right at the T.

Sorry you're having to deal with this -- I know it's a bummer. I keep telling myself that my doc made over 6 feet of incisions -- so it's not unreasonable that ~6 inches might take a little extra time to heal.

Best,

Laura