Question:
DID MY DOCTOR SEW ME UP RIGHT????

A few days after my surgery, I noticed the top of my incision seems like it was not sewn correctly. It looks fine when I am laying down (just as during the surgery) however when I stand or sit up, there is a lump of skin that folds over; and below the lump of skin there is a concave portion of my incision! It looks very awkward. I don't want to put on a bra because I don't want it to effect it or infect it. And, when I look at my profile, the concave part is very obvious. Is this normal??    — Michele J. (posted on September 1, 2000)

September 1, 2000
Michelle, I had the same problem. I thought that my surgeon made a mistake sewing me up, but alas, all is well now. I am 3 months post-op and all my skin lays normal. I do have a few spots where the scar is a little wider than other spots but I'm hoping that with time that fades away too. You should be fine. How far along are you? Just give it some time.
   — allendepot1

September 1, 2000
I had the same problem too. Plus, the incision was very crooked. 4 months post-op and the skin is flat and the scar is straight. Go figure.
   — Maxine E.

September 1, 2000
Thrice I have had incisions (wound) that did not look right when first healing. Although I want to make sure you understand these were not in the same abdominal area. I am posting this to try to reassure you. Others have posted with info on their WLS scars. With carpal tunnel he sliced in and then did probably a 30 degree angle so first it goes one way then angles over. It looked awful at first and especially at that angle point. It was all bunched up, puckered and the skin was not flat. And this was right there on my right hand that I had to use to pick things up and everybody asked about it because they could see it as I used my hand. It lessened and flattened more and more with time. At about 6 months out if I am remembering correctly that scar was so tiny and perfect I could not believe it. Now I have showed it to people and I don't know if they have trouble with their eyes or what but they say what scar and I show them this little white line. Stupid. Last year a larger incision for bladder surgery also looked unusual(as good as I could see it ...there) it kind of had a funny curve and this was a much wider cut. Surgery 10-25 and have very small decent looking scar. It has looked decent since the first of the year. I fell and cut my knee open a while back and that is not a nice clean incision to repair...then there is that fat that is torn that they just go ahead and sew over. It had this funny bump at the end of the stitches and after the stitches were out. It looked so jagged. Right across the knee cap. Really awful looking and then kept getting had a little infected to boot. Months later this scar looks straight, smooth and is really barely noticable. I thought this was going to be a really ugly scar. I offer these examples only as reassurance to you. Next time you go to your doctor ask him about this. He is the best person to tell you why it looks this way, but I would bet as it heals it will eventually have no deformity, and while certainly there will not be anything but a normal incision scar, a small badge of triumph over this disease we fight. Best of luck
   — JennyLynn A.