Question:
How does packing a wound help it to heal?

I had a tummy tuck 3 weeks ago and I still have 1 spot (about 1/4 in. dia) that is not healed. After packing it (as I was instructed by my Dr.)for several days it has now grown to 1/2 in. in dia. How does packing help it to heal? Why doesn't the Dr. just re-stitch or steri-strip the hole to close it up? Packing is disgusting and how can stuffing the hole full of gauze possibly help? How long will I have this hole and will it keep getting bigger?    — Kim T. (posted on August 20, 2004)

August 19, 2004
Kim- I had open rny and had a similar problem, but my opening was much bigger. I can sympathize! From what I understand, it helps it to heal from the inside out and if they were to just stitch you back up without it healing completely, you could develop problems in there. If it has grown since you started packing it, try packing it a little loser, with much smaller diameter gauze(they make gauze that is about the size and diameter of a shoe string). Are you soaking with saline prior to packing? Ultimately, you want to call your doctor. But, I had to go thru this from about 10 days after surgery (Dec 2003) until about the end of February (2004), so I understand. Watch for anything unusual as far as color or smell. Again, call the doc just to be sure everything is okay, but it will heal better.
   — Kathy *.

August 19, 2004
Hi Kim: I'll jump in here on this one. I have been in this situation. With deep wounds, they need to heal from the inside out and while that healing is taking place the packing is drawing excess fluid (and yucky stuff away from the area that is healing.) If a deep wound was to be stitched closed, it would not be able to drain properly and the top layer of skin may heal but the inside would not close together. They will measure the progress of the wound healing by the reduction in it's depth, not necessarily in the size of the outermost part. As time goes on it will become shallower and at some point your doctor will have you quit packing it so that the top will close over it. Take your vitamins, get your protein and my all means if you are doing the packing yourself, do it in the most sterile environment that you can create. Good luck to you!
   — Jackie O.

August 19, 2004
if you wound is expanding..you are overpacking it..you do heal from the inside out butyou wound should be closing..not expanding.what is draining now..what color and is it foul smelling?
   — traceybubbles

August 20, 2004
Bless your heart, it sucks having a hole in your tummy. I had a hernia repair surgery that caused infection and my tummy also split open. The hole was huge and I never thought it would heal. He assured me that by packing the wound the outside would not heal first, which causes the inside to form a pocket of infection again. He was right. My wound took almost 4 months to heal....felt like an eternity. The outside of the wound did get a bit bigger at first, but be sure you are not overpacking. My advice is just to pack enough that the area is covered but you don't feel pressure. Good luck hon! 5/9/03 Open RNY -176lbs.
   — Sylvia E.

August 20, 2004
Another slow healer chimes in. My RNY incision opened up due to infection. Got some strong antibiotics which took care of it, but had to do the packing with shoestring stuff for over 4 months. I'm a big baby; my surgeon could always get twice as much of that stuff in there than I could without throwing up - it was gross! But it utimately did heal with no ill effects. Good luck and try to be patient. Leslie, Open RNY (obviously), 6/17/03, 267/168/?
   — Leslie R.

August 20, 2004
Mine took NINE months to close. Trust me on this -- packing is WAY better than a machine they call a Wound VAC. Do anything you can do to help yourself heal without resorting to that. Mine was huge, though (7 in long and 3 inches deep into my body). Be sterile - mine got infected and had to have IV antibiotics. I can totally sympathize with what you're going through -- take care of yourself!
   — jen41766

August 22, 2004
Kim, I know what you're going through. I am living proof that packing a wound definitely helps the healing processing. After hernia surgery, the wound became infected and had to be reopened and it had to heal from the inside out. It took 2.5 yards of gauze at first to fill that hole and almost 5 months later the hole completely closed--of course the wound was 6 inches long, and all the way down to my stomach wall. Yours is much smaller and will close in no time at all. Just follow your doctor's directions closely; No doubt your doctor is keeping close tabs on how you're progressing, but if anything seems out of the ordinary I wouldn't hesitate to give him or her a call. Good luck, Kim.
   — Linda S.

August 22, 2004
I had an open wound about an inch long and it took 4 weeks to heal with packing twice a day. Saline soaked gaze. At first 2 2x2's filled it, eventually I needed only 1. it really does get better.
   — catleth

August 22, 2004
I'm a nurse and reason for packing the wound instead of restitching the hole is because it could cause a pocket infection that could then continue to be infected and the open hole could continue to grow on the inside. He is having you pack it and it will then heal from the inside to the outside. That way it reassure that the hole closed up in the inside. I hope this explains it. I'm not sure if you understand it though. It would be easier to verbally explain medical advice. Good luck and I hope everything heals fast and well. Jen:)
   — imgabbie

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