I have had a j-pouch for a little over a year and had temporary ileostomy surgery on August 16 due to pouch dysfunction. I was cut down the middle again so the surgeon could fit his hand in to create the ileostomy. The middle of my incision was looking red and oozy, so last week my surgeon took the staples out. Almost immediately the top of my incision opened up, and though I was changing the gauze several times a day, it continued to leak all over my clothes. My surgeon had me pack it with gauze soaked in saline, but he didn't prescribe any antibiotics. Over the weekend the inside of the incision turned white like pus-pockets during strep throat, and started leaking green pus. I went to an urgent care clinic and the dr there prescribed two antibiotics to take for the infection. I called my surgeon on Monday to tell him the incision is getting worse and not better, and he said to just continue the antibiotics for now and don't do anything else. This thing looks so gross. I have to wake up in the middle of the night just to change the gauze so it wont leak on my nightclothes. I'm concerned this is serious, but I don't know what else to do. My surgon doesn't seem to be alarmed by it. I have taken the antibiotics 3 days now, and have not noticed much of a difference except the pain is a little less. The incision still looks the same. any advice or experience with this sort of thing? Should I go to the ER? If I do that they will probably just call my surgeon and send me home. This is so frustrating.

Hi BK,
If it looks the same and not worse then it is in fact probably getting better...otherwise these things degenerate really quickly...I'd give it 2 more days tops...unless you are feverish and having flu-like symptoms..in which case I would head off to ER. Sometimes they just need to change off anti-biotics and or debreed the wound (clean it out a bit). Most of the time they won't do much if you have just started the antibiotics..they say that it really takes 5 days to see results whenit is a serious wound infection.
If it is worse...Redder, hot and the pustules are increasing in number then head back to er anyway...in the meantime double up on the packing (I used sterile maxipad type coverings over the gauze packing to protect my clothes and the bed.)
Sharon

By chance do you have a WOCN or Visiting nurse checking in on you? If not, someone should look at the incision ...drainage .. .color/odor... may need to culture ... they may change what you're using for dressing changes....by chance does the hospital have a wound clinic? Can always ask for a referral....don't think you're stepping on anybody's toes or going above them...it's advocating for yourself....our primary care (Fam Practice) doc helped with a referral to a wound clinic 45 min away....worth every trip! Hindsight...wish we had gone sooner to see them!!! Long story...won't go there...but someone on this site said....incisions are scars with better stories....well, son has quite the story but currently doing well and enjoying being a 19 yr old!
Hope this helps.
(Also- ostomy belt helped to keep the wafer /bag from pulling the incision , too.....a trick from the WOCN)