Wound care, pain, regret

I  am so sorry this is happening to you. I had a inner thigh lift about 6 weeks ago and a little under 3 inches of my right inner thigh incision opened. I could see straight through the inside of my leg. I was devastated. I cried and prayed all day long. I am happy to say though that it is 95% closed now and it took about 5 weeks. After the first 3 weeks, I found that it didn't cause me much problems by way of pain or being uncomfortable. I know it's hard to think of much else than the pain and fear, but it does get better. I hope you start to feel better soon =)

I am very concerned for you. Can you see another plastic surgeon for a second opinion? Can you see your primary care physician for advice?

I can tell you that my surgeon has been ever available to me after my tummy tuck. I have spoken/text/emailed with him many times. He has taken my call at 2 in the morning on a Sunday. He has had his PA call me from the OR. And went I went to the ER, my surgeon directed my care on the phone from 700 miles away. I did not have any complications like you are experiencing. Your surgeon should be all over this if he had concern for his patients well being and safety.

I wish you good health and speedy recovery.

I have been to the ER, pain management and my PCP.  They are all providing care to me at this point.  My surgeon it seems (something overnight it seems) has come around and is now fully on board.  I got a call from him yesterday very concerned and wanting to see me today.  That was followed up by a long email, late at night to me from him explaining further.  I came in today, we had a "come to Jesus" meeting and are on the same page now, it seems.  He had his wound care team in place and the incision was again widened, cleaned and a wound vac has now been applied and home health has been initiated.  He also called the pain management practice (who tried to refuse to see me until he pushed them to) and consulted them over the phone again today about the fact my pain is still uncontrolled and there are some issues that will need to be addressed earlier than my next scheduled appointment with them.  He moved my appt. with pain management up, and provided me with scripts to get me by until then.  He also provided me with an option to get in and see him this weekend, in case there is a need to, prior to my next scheduled appt with him next Wednesday.  Whatever it was that got his attention, it worked, and I thank God- because now we feel like a team again, and I no longer feel like he just sees me as a drug addict or a pain in the ass...  I just pray the interventions work and we can finally get things under control.  I would have preferred to have NOT even gotten to this place, but, thats neither here nor there and its in the past- so all I can do is move forward and deal with what it is.  And I am glad it seems like he is willing to do that, effectively with me now.

I am thrilled to hear this!!! Be well!!!

I really would like to verbally talk with you on my dime (or shekel).
I know a lot about Wound Vac. Been there done that.
When they home care nurse comes to change its grey sponge and dressing, ask for a liquid pain killer at least a half hour before they take anything off or else you will be in excruciating pain. My EV was hanged every 3-4 days.
Mikimi in Israel

Thank you for the tip on the dressing change, my surgeon also mentioned it is painful, so I will be planning ahead for their visits.  As for talking by phone, that just isnt something I am able to do.  My carrier would charge me as well, on an incoming International rate, and with being laid off at the moment (temporarily until I am well), I just cannot afford to.  Thank you for the offer though.  

Man our cellphone package deals are do different here!
I have a deal where the first six months are 50SH and then after it is 100SH/month with unlimited calls including 55 countries, unlimited Internet and text messages.
The iPhone I bought is on payments of 115SH/month for 36 months.

If you ever need me-msg me or post on the Board for me to post to you.
Pain meds take minimum half hour to kick in unless in liquid form (oxycod) and you still feel the nurse poking and squishing sponge conductors into you. It hurts more on removal and the trick is pain meds and if they wet it enough on removing do it doesn't pull your skin. Then nurse will take out her bendy ruler and measure dimensions. At least that is what and how for me in Israel and my PS arranged that I stay in hospital with WV. Portable WV will need to be charged for six hours and works sixteen. But as I live alone it was in my best interest to remain in hospital got the duration of my treatment.
Hang in there!
Mikimi

Sorry for the horrible experience that you are having. But glad to hear that he is finally coming around. He probably realizes that the problems in his office exacerbated the problems. I too had a complication. Mine was a quick severe one not caused by the doc. From the moment that I got to see him he was so wonderful and so concerned for my care and so sure what to do to get me fixed - that made all of the difference in how I felt. I hope that now that he is on board, that you start to be able to emotionally heal as well as physically. Mental state has so much to do with your ability to physically recover from something like this. Hopefully this will not be a long journey.

Good I'm glad for u...I pm'd u.

I'm sorry you are having this trouble.  When I had my tummy tuck (a reverse tummy tuck, so a true "T" shape with the top of the "T" under my breasts) the entire incision turned necrotic within days.  The "crater" I had was triangular, about 4 inches long (vertically) and about 3 inches wide in the belly but 6 inches under the breasts.  It was only about half an inch deep under the breasts but was deep enough across the ribcage that at the deepest point the muscle fascia was visible.  It looked like a uterus and Fallopian tubes.  It had to washed and packed twice a day for 5 months.  It was into the 6th month before the skin completely grew back and was thick enough that I didn't have to keep it covered to keep from tearing it open again (especially under the breasts).  When I first had to start cleaning and packing it, I had to take an Ativan first (prescribed by my PCP who firmly declined my offer to show him the wound) to calm myself.  My belly looked like something on a cadaver!

Now it looks like burn scars. Most of the top of the "T" is hidden under my breasts, and when I had another open surgery last year, the surgeon removed some of the scarred skin so that she had better skin to close her incision (fearing that it might turn necrotic AGAIN), so it is better than it used to be, but I won't be bearing my middle in public.

I did still have some pain after all the necrotic tissue was removed, but it faded after a week or so. My plastic surgeon also didn't understand why I was so distraught.  His nurse then got annoyed with him and said that even though HE is used to seeing this kind of stuff, no woman wants to have her body look like this even temporarily and that the "gross factor" (her term) was pretty high on it.  She also repeated my lament that I paid a lot of money for my tummy tuck, expecting to look a certain way, and now my belly was probably going to look hideous.  (It healed better than I expected, but I still didn't expect more than a single incision line.)  So try to ignore him.

I can only imagine how much more difficult it is having it on your butt than on the abdomen.  At least I could sit and sleep without pain.my thighs are hideous, but (even if I had the money, which I don't) thigh lifts are notorious for turning necrotic, and I could not emotionally handle having a wound on the inside of my thighs... so I will never get my thigh skin removed.

i know how distressing it is. I remember it well.  I can tell you, though, that it WILL heal up eventually, and you will probably not regret having had the surgery done.  I would not do it again if I knew what was going to happen, of course, but even with the scars, I love having a flat tummy instead of all that extra skin.  

I would suggest two things: talk to your plastic surgeon about the possibility of a wound vac (I did not have one, for several reasons).  It will speed up the healing time.  The drawback is cost (insurance often only covers part of the cost) and that someone has to come out every 3 days to change the dressing.  That would mean, though, that your husband wouldn't have to do it.  Secondly, I would suggest asking your PCP for a prescription for something short term for anxiety.  The Ativan helped me immensely!  I had it for 2 months.  I took it every day for the first month, and then -- as I got used to seeing the crater (and I could see new pink tissue growing) and got used to cleaning and packing it -- took it only a couple of times a week for a few more weeks.  It really helped me get myself pulled together early after the surgery, though.

Hang in there.  It WILL get better, both physically and emotionally.  If you have any questions or just need to vent, feel free to PM me.

Lora