No afterhours nurse line - is this ER worthy?

Sorry to be back bothering everyone again! Hopefully I'm just being silly!

I'm 5 days post op. My top left incision (Lap DS) has come open (I'm guessing I may have accidentally scratched it open in my sleep?) It was sealed with super glue or whatever glue that they use. It's not gaping or anything, but is definitely seeping fluid, similar to what is coming out of my drain. I've had to put a bandage on it (just some gauze and tape) to keep it from getting all over my clothes. It's not red or any more painful than it was - but there is no after hours nurse line that I can call at Madigan. The surgical clinic is closed until tomorrow morning, and the ER refused to give me advice or a # to call... SO.. is this something that is ER worthy? Can it wait until the morning when I can get in to the surgical clinic? I'd like to wait until tomorrow if possible, but I didn't know if this was something that I should be concerned enough about to go into the ER?

Personally, I would go to the ER now if it's actually open. I wouldn't want to risk an infection. 

-- Lenore

Thanks for your quick responses!

It's not actually all the way open or anything, it's mostly sealed - but I guess I just scratched a part of it open or something. Just enough to get some seepage. I can't see a hole or anything, so I don't think I did major damage. I've got it bandaged up right now - I think I'm going to monitor the seepage and see if it gets any worse before heading to the ER. So frustrating that they don't have an after hours number that I can call!!

In the meantime consider applying a steristrip.

your sugeon doesn't have a oncall number?

I haven't been able to find one if it does exist. There's nothing on my discharge orders, except to call the clinic - but there's no menu options for the clinic as far as getting ahold of someone to talk to after-hours. I tried contacting the ER to see if there was a nurse line or someone I could call to get medical advice and they just said that it was up to me and they didn't have anyone I could call. Kinda dumb. The only number I have for Dr. Martin is the direct number to the clinic 

I'll bet if you called the direct line at the clinic you would get a redirect to his answering service.

Just from personal experience...one of mine popped open about 3 weeks post-op. I thought they had all sealed by then, but there it was. It was the one right under my bra. It seeped a little so I kept it covered. It reclosed about a week later and I had no issues with it. Now I can't even see the little sucker. I don't think it's ER worthy, but it wouldn't hurt to cover it up with something sterile and give a call to your doc in the morning.

As long as you have no fever and it area isn't red and/or painful or hot to the touch, it doesn't sound too bad. Do keep the wound covered and dry, change the dressings if they are damp, and call your doc promptly in the am.

Larra

This happened to me also and I called my surgeon after hours.  Since there wasn't any pain involved, he said it was quite normal and advised me to put a sanitary napkin on it with surgical tape. I found that tampons worked the best.  I would still call your surgeon just to be on the safe side.