Question:
Anyone have problems with incision infection?

I am going to the Dr. tomorrow - my incision is red and hot to the touch - I felt much better week one than I do in week two. I will let you know what the Dr. says.    — Diane T. (posted on September 26, 2002)

September 26, 2002
Yes, I have an open wound from an incision infection and it is healing very well now but it takes a long time. I had the same experience as you. One week later it developed and opened. Once it opened The heat and the pain was gone. I have nurses come daily to change the dressing. If you can try and have nurses come it is easier than trying to chage the dressing by yourself. Good luck.
   — Janet S.

September 26, 2002
Hi! Yes, i had an infection in one of my LAP incisions. It was the big one on the left where the biggest equiptment goes in. It started the end of the second day after surgery. I had incredible pain. I showed the DR in the hospital and he sliced it open a centimeter and said it was fine. Of course it wasn't and over the next 3 days i had fever, and white blood cell count was crazy, they kept me an extra day (didn't do anything for me, just kept me) finally sent me home and i was in EXCRUTIATING pain and feverish, almost went back that night to hospital. I waited till morning and went to DR's office where the other DR said OF COURSE you have an infection. He did a little surgery right there, shot me with stuf to numb me and sliced open the wound. Disgusting smelly green pus came pouring out of that opening. He left it open and for the next 3 weeks i had to pack it with gauze soaked in a soloution. it is called wet/dry dressing and the idea is that the gauze acts like a wick pulling out the pus and allowing the wound to close from the inside out. While you are in the middle of this it feels terrible and like it will last forever, but it really does go away, i promise! Good luck. let me know what happens...robyn
   — robyn R.

September 27, 2002
Diane, Hi. Sorry to hear you are having troubles. My husband had a very bad incisional infection. He had only been home 2 or 3 days from the hospital and everything seemed fine then he started chilling and his incision got reddish and tight. We figured it might have been scar tissue and then he sneezed. His allergies were flaring up. Every time he sneezed, pus would squirt out, then it kept draining and smelled horrible so I knew he had an infection. I called the surgeon's office and they told him to come in the next day and I made an appointment, but it really got to worrying me so I took him to our local emergency room. By that time he was beginning to run a fever (infection progresses fast). They gave him strong antibiotics and sent me to Tulsa with him where he had his surgery. They wouldn't touch it. The smell got so bad I couldn't hardly stand it. Sorry to be gross. The surgeon opened it up and drained it and cultured it. His incision continued to rip open until it ripped the whole incision open everytime he coughed or sneezed. Then his intestines come out, so needless to say 2 weeks to the day he had his RNY they took him back to surgery and closed it back up. He had 4 strains of infection including, staph, e-coli and 2 others. He then finally got to come back home about 1 week later and he had to have a PIC line put in and he had a homehealth nurse come out every few hours to give him strong antibiotic through his IV. This set him back for about 2 months. I really don't mean to scare you, but please go to the emergency room and have it checked, I would not wait. I don't know what would have happened if I waited until the next day to take him to the doctor. I shudder to even think about it. Infection is nothing to mess around with, believe me, I know. Please get it checked pronto. Good Luck, Jeanie
   — Jeanie B.

September 29, 2002
Diane, my incision was originally like that and 2 wks after my Open RNY (8/15) it opened up and has been leaking for 4 1/2 weeks now. Never was infected, just annoying as Heck! It has to heal from the inside out, if it starts to leak, you are fine as long as you don't have a temperature, it isn't greenish and doesn't smell.
   — heathercross

September 30, 2002
Incision Infection getting better..as I mentioned last Thurs. I was going back to the Dr. on Friday..good thing, when I got up Friday I was leaking a foul smelling liquid. They had to open my incision (major OW), drain it clean it. I have to keep the incision open and clean it twice a day - gives me the creeps - but at least it is healing and I dont hurt anymore. I have no energy or appetite - trying to get as much protein is as possible. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences. God Bless - Diane
   — Diane T.