Hi, I had triple hernia repair 23/10 since that things had been good, until I had a huge amount if discharge last week running out of wound like water running out of a tap.

After seeking medical advise of GP, taking a swab to see if infection and placed on anti-biotics and told that the this will happen for a day or 2 and all is fine.

well a well later, this has happened, up changing dressing every 2 hours, placing towel over the ound to absorb any leaks and getting numb bum syndrome from laying on my back.

i am heading back to see my surgeon on 24/11 for my 4 week check up and cannot get into him any sooner.

Is there any advise in what I could, do the pain is unbearable and take pain killers to keep the pain comfortable and rest as much as possible.

just running around in circles with this, no one seems to kow what to do or the Drs dont want to excert themselves and my dr is currently on holidays which I am scheduled to see her on the 16/11.

anything advise is better than none, it has me guessing in what to do. I dont plan many things and only have an out every 2 weeks for 3/4 of a day where i am with a friend and try to nail 2 weeks worth the jobs in that day but not pushing myself in finishing them just doing things to what pace i can handle.

thanks guys you all are fab

Kam


Total collectomy 11/91
J-pouch 11/07
Reversal 8/08
triple hernia repair 10/09

I hope Jan or someone sees this and responds soon.

Are the painkillers helping at all? Is the pain growing worse? How long, total, has the leaking been going on? What colour is it? Is there an odour? What is the consistency? Did the lab work on whether there is an infection actually come back, or were you put on the antibiotics just in case? It it continues, I would go in. Does your surgeon have partners, or is there an on-call doctor?

Hope you get better soon,
Gin

Hi Kam...first up....it may just be fluids collecting in a pocket or pouch under the scar...very frequent in my world..almost every time except with this laporoscopy...if the fluids are clear or slightly pink with no musty/rotten smell than it is less dangerous (please confirm this Jan) I start dripping slowly, then build up major quantities until the scar pops open and the wound dehisses completely or at least enough (meaning it opens up). I have had a full quart at a time come out..impressive but not really dangerous and once it comes out and opens up the pain goes pretty much away...they just have me pack the wound with steril dressings after a good cleaning of it and have patience until the thing closes up on its own (much too long for my tast but..)
Leaves an unpleasantly bumpy scar but that it is..
If you start to get achy/feverish then head out to emerg...they can open it up enough for it to clear...but they will not restitch it (asked every time!)
By the way..if it is very green/thick/pusy/ and stinky...you in all probability have some sort of infection...go to emerge
Keep us posted...
Sharon

Hi guys, the pain is sometime bearable, but just take mild pills to keep comfortable but i have Endone on hand if gets to much, the discharge started out dark red fluid, filling up 2 bath sheets full first up, then steaded up and now gushing out in a darker colour than before. Swabs were taken as a precaution then on anti biotics as a precaution till the results came back and it was negative.

then tnigth heap of junk disloged, with wound partly opening up, bubbling away with some yellowy flesh coming out with the discharge.

Filled one bath sheet full tonight, just would not stop at all, temp is not to bad atm, been having panadol when it is a bit high, feels light headed a lot lately no matter what I do even eating well, there are days I just crave ice.

This discharge has been happening almost a week (well it will be on Tuesday) just told to keep it dressed and it should be gone in a few days.I am keeping myself occupied but not overdoing it, I have friends that drive me to my appointments etc, just as I think I am doing well and then the slight pain then the hooly dooly discharge and when and if it finishes very minimal pain and feel better, sometime this can go on all night long which I get about 1 hours sleep in total.

Atm I am doubling up on my dressing as it does not take long for them to get saturated and placing a towel over the sight as well for that added security and well seeps through.

If it continues to bad tonight will be ringing the hospital up and heading that way for sure, this has been going on for a few days to long and hate being dependant on painkillers, but almost living on them or panadol atm, but otherwise all is going well, well i thought but, will try to get into a GP this week to get this problem sorted once and for all, they will have to do something about it, i would love one week away from them and have been there every week since surgery with this prob of its very high temps and vommiting ontop of it...

will keep you posted
Kam

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

finally the doctor has admitted me for iv antibiotics and opened up the wound so all the discharge could escape, he is getting the local surgeon to see me tomorrow to get a 2nd opinion oon what to do.

He took another swab as well and packing the wond with gauze and betadine.

so i wont be out till all/majority of the junk has gone, good opportunity for me to rest up and forget about everthing else.

Oh Kam, sorry you're going through this. Yes, please continue nagging the doctors - severe pain is not normal. Any yes, please do rest and let your body heal.

Hope the weather's okay your way. We're going through a heatwave in Melbourne (over 30 degrees since last Saturday), which hasn't happened before in November.

Sounds like you had what is called a wound dehiscence. This is where the wound separates. I had a similar thing happen and they thought it was just a little seroma that needed to escape. But, the thing just kept running like an open beer tap and bulky dressings could not keep up with it. My surgeon ultimately decided that there was a dehiscence, all the way through the peritoneum and peritoneal fluid was draining. The exterior skin was reopened and it healed from the inside out. Gradually, the drainage stopped as the peritoneum finally sealed off.

Jan

I am having a surgical consult this afternoon and looks like I am heading the theatre tomorrow so that the wound can be opened another inch or 1 and they will try to clean it out whilst there and is will be packed daily till it heals from inside to outside, which will apparently take a long time.

but something is getting done about it all, just waiting on results on 2nd swab that was taken yesterday.

The only plan I have to to recoup to the best I can being a single mum, but the kids help out where they can.

will keep you posted after my little trip tomorrow (I hope it is tomorrow, suppose will find out tonight)

Kam

at a request from my main surgeon in Newcastle I am to be flown down there ASAP, well now it is as soon as a bed is avaliable.

So I wont kow what is going to happen there or how long, but I have no intensions of coming home till I am well enough

Kam

Hang in there; I hope it goes well.

Gin

apparently my surgeon is going to a vaccum pack on my wound, I am on oral antibotics now, veins are just about shot for IV, just waiting on an avaliable bed and then everything will be fine...so just for that call to become positive one....

Kam, are you okay?

Hi Nikki,

things are going great, got to have my first dressing changed today and re packed then i will find the verdict out if I get flown back home within the next 24-48 hours.

I named my vac machine "Frank" since we are going to have a close relationship for a minimum of a month, but things are going well. The junk ended up being that thick that i had my first blow out, but it works out good that it is dressing changed day. got flown down last tuesday night by air ambulance and well was close to going to theatre, but nothing that morphine would not fix from the pain of the packing, so much packing in a little opening.

the cavity is about 4 inces wide by 1 inch deep with an opening of 1/4 of an inch.

but all is good, todays dressing change will give us the full verdict, then head home and up to my local hospital every 4 days to get it changed.

so that is about all for now, thanks nikki2

after local surgeon exploring through the opening of my wound this morning, he felt the mesh and the stitches directly below, but the VAC treatment is going so good that looks like half the wound has healed and been 2 weeks.

i am also just wondering what the medical terms for Staph infection medical abreviation is some letter were mentioned ?SAV ASAR??, they had to glove up, so my though is that I had a staph infection before shipped of to newcastle and the results came back whilst in newcastle and I was in isolation ward on my 2nd admission for vommiting 30 hours later after discharge...just thing seem to be funny, then the day of my discharge my local doctor wanted me to go on IV antibiotics and the local surgeon wanted me out of the hospital, only there as having probs with the VAC dressings????? wonder what goes in their minds some days

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

Can't answer your question, but am glad to hear that you're on the mend and hope that it continues well.

Gin