Question:
Plastic Surgery incisions open and not healing - help?!

The background: I had my abdominoplasty exactly a month ago. About 2.5 weeks ago, my incision started to separate. My doc let it go for awhile, then his wound nurse scared me because she said it was bad. I had to pack it with dead-tissue-eating-ointment for a week. Then they put me on a VAC. This is where they stick a black sponge into the wound, cover everything with tape and attach a 7 ft. plastic tube from wound to machine. The theory is that the constant suction pulls the wound together so it can heal from the inside out and also it keeps it very clean. It stays on 24-7. It's VERY annoying and cumbersome - especially stuffing 7 ft of tubing into my underwear! It's also heavy and is hurting my shoulders and back. They told me to eat lots of protein, drink tons of water (does this sound familiar to gastric bypass patients?) and also to take vitamin C and zinc. Now the question: Does anyone have ANY TIPS AT ALL on how to SPEED HEALING? I'm planning a trip in 3 weeks and need to be healed by then, the nurses don't seem to think so. I need help!!!    — jen41766 (posted on September 20, 2003)

September 20, 2003
triple your protein consumption and stay on zinc.
   — Georgia Girl

September 20, 2003
Sorry you are having so much trouble. I was on a wound VAC for a few days last summer. I was told that the wound Vac is just that, a vacuum that sucks up any drainage. Are you having drainage? I took myself off of it because my wound became very red/purple and extremely painful. If you notice any of these symptoms, see your doc. It could be and probably is an infection. I had to use iodosorb for nearly a month after.(paste that looks like baby poop) I have an even larger scar now because of the wound vac. I was allergic to the adhesive. One home health nurse told me over and over again, protein, protein, and more protein. Hope this helps. My injury was not weight related but due to a horse back riding incident 17 years ago. If you look at my profile, especially with todays date you will see my family does not seem to have much luck with horses.
   — Barbara D.

September 20, 2003
I am a geriatric nurse and I am a firm believer in the old remedies we always use what we call wet to dry here and most older people have terrible nutrition also. But get some normal saline soak a gauze dressing with it then put a dry one over top and cover it change it about 3 times a day the idea is to debrid the dead tissue when you take off the old dressing take a deep breath and pull it off it will hurt and bleed but you want it to if its bleeding thats a good sign that your getting circulation and new cells to the area good luck
   — Monica T.

September 25, 2003
Sorry, I can't help much. I have read someones profile on here that had a horrible time w/wound healing. She had to have home health care nurses come in and help her pack this at one point and also packed the wound 1-2 times daily herself (with peroxide) will healed. If I can find this profile, I'll try to put a note in here on it. In the meanwhile, look in library under "healing" "wounds""incision" ect... Maybe this will pull up a question, and you could look at sev profiles of people asking/answering questions to see if you could find this persons profile. Then again, you may not feel like doing this. Just trying to help :) Becky Mulligan
   — bufordslipstick