Anyone get an abcess on there incision line after sugery? I did and it has given me so much trouble. I have had the thing cut open 5 times to keep my skin from closing before the wound heals and I have had to have one real big surgery to let a large amount of infection out of my abdomen and pelvis. I also had some fluid from my original abcess sink down into my vaginal area and develop into ANOTHER abcess the size of a golfball. Let me just say the pain has been terrible. I still cannot have my TD surgery because I am still trying to get this open wound to heal. I have had it since the first week of december.

I am really getting down about the whole thing and I just am sick and tired of being patient. I have had a hole (open wound) for 4 months. This is not normal. Well, neither is not having a colon, but we can't have everything we want now can we?

I am seeing a wound Dr. and things are healing, but slow. I thought the worst thing about this 2 step surgery was going to be the ostomy. Not the case. My "hole" has been the biggest pain in the rump. I just want to get this place healed so I can have TD. I have already had my pouch o gram and everything was healed great. I am also having small BMs because I have stuff getting past my loop so I feel ready to have TD surgery. I'm already using the new plumbing part time. I just want to get on with my life!!

Enough said. Any encouraging words would be great. Thanks

This message has been edited. Last edited by: alexandra,

Ask the doctor about using a wound vac to see if it would be appropriate in your situation. It did a lot for me, unfortunately, I still have a low-output enterocutaneous fistula (tunnel from small bowel to midline scar). The wound VAC really helped though. You might want to post this in the General Discussion section to get more responses.


Lori

Hi,
I'm sorry you're going through this. I experienced the same thing after my 1st step (colectomy, pouch creation, loop ileo). I had to wait an extra 3 months to have my TD thanks to numerous infections in my incision. One turned into a massive abcess that they couldn't get to unless they cut into my pouch, which they didn't want to do since that was about the only thing in my body that didn't seem to be failing! This happened the day before my planned TD so it got cancelled at the last minute. I cried my eyes out. They put me on Cipro and Flagyl, which didn't do much except make me puke violently. In the end, they kind of shrugged their shoulders and said the abcess would sort itself out in time?!! I assume it has, because the pain hasn't returned. They performed the TD when my blood tests showed that there was no infection in my body, i.e. the abcess was just fluid, rather than infected fluid. Right before my new attepted TD, the incision wound down my stomach flared up again, and I got a huge bubble of fluid with red, hot skin around. I was so angry and determined not to have the TD cancelled that I dug out left over cipro and flagyl from a previous prescription where they gave me more than I neeeded for that course, and put myself back on the double whammy. I didn't tell the docs what I'd done as I was sure they'd postpone my TD again. I got everything healed the night before my TD!! Anyway, once I'd had the TD my luck changed and I haven't had any problems with abcesses or infections since. Touch wood. There isn't much you can do really except wait. But I comiserate with you. They told me me that the cause of the incision infections was probably stitches that wouldn't dissolve. When the surgeon sent me a copy of his report after my TD (don't know why he sent it to me - they don't usually share their thoughts with you in this country!) he wrote "subcutaneous infection - fistula?" Hah! They never told me they suspected a fistula!

I did have a wound vac for 2 months, however, the insurance company took it away.

Can you have the doctor write an appeal to the insurance company for continued coverage for the wound vac? Generally, pretty much anything can be authorized once it is clear that there is a medical need and reasonable chance of improvement with it.

Jan

Now the wound is getting quite small. They are using prisma in it. I think I may be on the home stretch. I hate to say that in case something else goes wrong. If so, I will beg for them to get the wound vac back.