I need your help. I had a great day yesterday, thought things were getting better... then I went to head to bed, stood up, and felt a weird liquid running down my leg. It turns out the bottom part of my incision is leaking out brownish, red, puss stuff! The top part of my incision looks great but as soon as it hits below my pubic bone it is leaky, red, and alittle swollen. I wasnt sure what to do last night so I drained the infection as best as I could, had a warm shower and gently let the water clean it. I then dried it, put some polysporin on it, then alittle bit of gauze. Did I do everything I should have done? What now?! I need help asap! Thanks guys

What surgery did you have? It is not uncommon for the incision to "leak" a little. My steri-strips came off too soon on my first surgery and the incision was very weepy, with pus and a little bleeding. I cleaned it and put one of the large bandaids with antibiotic ointment on the pad over it. As long as it doesn't gush blood or you feel you have a fever/infection, it should be okay. Keep an eye on it though, and it should start to heal back over.

nys

Hi NYS, thanks for the response. I had step 2 of 3 done (j pouch creation and temp ileo). I am worried because it wasnt "alittle" bit of drainage, it was quite a bit (had to grab handfuls of tissue) and its looking red and irritated now. I am trying to contact my surgeon but have not had any luck yet. I will have to keep trying. Any more advice? Jan, got any input for me? ....still worried :S

My advice would be to call the nurse at the surgeon's office. Hopefully, you can come into today to be looked it. Even if the surgeon is way too busy, at least the nurse, if qualified, will be able to tell whether it is really infected.

My incision sites drained like crazy- each surgery. I would tape maxi pads against my skin to absorb all the drainage. Then I moved down to guaze pads and finally later nothing. Some took weeks to heal.

I remember with my takedown it happened suddenly. I looked down and my shirt and pants were soaked. The ostomy site was stapled but it still drained. I called the doctor and they said it is ok- as long as there isn't a strong odor (infection) and it is clear shaded orange/red. Check to see if you have a fever. But call your doctor if it gives you peace of mind.
Good luck!

Hi Cindy,

Try not to panic as it's really a good thing that it's draining rather than forming a nasty abscess. I had this happen to me a couple of times post op and although it can be a little scary with the amount that seems to come out, it really is better out than in.

It sounds like you have done all the right things. Let us know what the doctor says.

Luv & hugs

Shell

I was told that if I had any problems with my incision that I should get it looked at right away in case it was infected. Do you have a good family doctor? Maybe you could be squeezed in with your GP and they could check it out. Hope it works out okay.

Hi all. Well, I called my surgeons office this afternoon but was only able to book an appointment to see him this thursday at 2:15. The receptionist said that she would get a wound care nurse to give me a call so she could help me over the phone. However, I'm an idiot and turned the ringer off when I was being hassled by calls earlier in the day and forgot to turn it back on. I missed the call and the office is closed so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to speak to someone. I am going to clean it tonight but I'm not sure exactly which way is the best to go at it? Can anyone give me step by step instructions on how to clean and cover a wound?

This sounds like a seroma (basically just a fluid collection between the layers of abdominal wall). When it's too much for your body to absorb, it finds a way out, causing a wound separation (dehiscence). It can become infected, so drainage was the thing it needed to do.

Do not soak in the tub, but showering is fine. Don't use soaps or ointments on it, not even antibiotic ointments. Do not clean it with peroxide or alcohol. Just pat dry and cover with dry, sterile gauze (mostly to catch the drainage). Don't worry; it is extremely unlikely that this goes completely through to your abdominal cavity. It may seem like it goes on forever, but most likely it is just under the fat layer.

Take your temperature tonight and in the morning to watch for any trends in fever. Expect your temperature to be a few degrees higher in the evening than the morning, as that is the normal pattern.

Kudos to you for not panicking!

Jan

Hi guys. Just wanted to update everyone on my leaky situation. I saw the surgeon on Thursday and he took all my staples out. He also opened up the bottom, infected part of my incision and cleaned it out (I didn't realize I had an opened wound and looked at my stomach...wow!!!). I got everything packed and right away I felt better. He thanked me for coming in too...I guess most people who have complications try and ignore them lol I signed up to have home heathcare, so a nurse should be coming by every day to clean the wound. If feels much better knowing I've got someone there to help. Besides that I've been feeling better but had a gassier day than normal today. This gas is so uncomfortable!