Packing a wound after plastics

Has anyone been left with holes that opened up after a procedure?  I have a hole on my right hip and now one just opened up on my right inner thigh at the crease.  I have to pack them twice a day with sterile saline and gauze.
Has anyone else had this and how long does it take to heal from the inside out?

How big are your holes? I had a small hole less than the size of a dime open up on my incision at the 4 week mark. I just used xeroform gauze on it and it closed in 2 weeks, just like my surgeon said it would.

Laura

Oh my who did your PS?

 Michele,
I know you havent had your plastics yet, but you should be aware of this complication as it can and does happen to lots of peple.  It's probably not anything her surgeon did.

Joanne..I am definitely sweamish.. I'mm gonna have to tt my PS about wound packing.. I hope I dont have to do that..

 I'm not good with things like that either.  When I had the opening in my underarm area, my PS had to call in some Xanax for me because I freaked out.

If you're not good with things like that, be prepared for the drains and incision care you'll need to do.  Have the nurses show you exactly how to clean your drains, etc.  The more you know what to expect hopefully the better you'll be.

 When I had my arm lift, I didnt take the post op instructions seroiusly enough.  I lifted my arms over my head reaching for things, I tried to do too much too soon - and I ended up with a pretty big opening in my underarm.  I had to pack that and I'd say it took about 4-6 weeks for it to fully heal from the inside out.

I just had my thigh lift and I have a little separation at the top of the "T" incision.  It's been there for about 5 days now, and I'm keeping it covered with gauze.  It's already healing very well and I think in about a week it will be completely healed.

Although as plastic surgeons we strive to have everything perfect, it is not uncommon to have a small area that opens on a surgical incision. This can happen for multiple reasons including tension, infection, a broken stitch, or when a stitch "spits." Most plastic surgeons use stitches that dissolve, but some times the body will pu**** out (spit) before it gets a chance to dissolve. These wounds are usually self-limited and take a few days to a few weeks to close. It is best to talk to your surgeon to see how they prefer to manage these areas. For most patients, this is just a short-term issue without any long-term consequence.

Thank you so much for your answer.  I am seeing my plastic surgeon today.  I have a lot of faith in him.  I am using Santyl Ointment for the problems I had with the incision in my inner thighs.  I can see it is getting better, and the holes just are the last straw emotionally..
He is one of the top surgeons on this site, so I know I am in good hands.  I see now how the second hole opened.  It has a lot of tension on the front.  It has been six weeks tomorrow since my surgery.  I am going to ask him if I can take off the compression garment and maybe wear tight bike shorts to keep the pads in place on my inner thighs.
Karen