Anyone had to pack an incision with gauze? I have a question.

godsend213
on 4/13/11 1:19 am - Fort Carson, CO

How long did it take to heal, where you didn't have to pack anymore? I can see a hole but the opening is getting so small I can't even fit a cotton swab in there to pack anymore. I asked the doctor how long it takes to heal and he said it varies...ok that was no help. I don't know if I should stop packing now or what.....

I want to participate in life, not observe!

SugarGrl
on 4/13/11 1:31 am

RNY on 03/23/11

I have one of those (good to know it gets smaller). I didn't have to pack it. I just had to put a bandaid over it. Maybe it is not so deep as it was but it is still ugly. Does it heal from the inside out? I told my surgeon that I thought it was poor worksmanship and he just laughed. I was serious! All my other incisions are tiny but this one is maybe an inch.

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! LET'S GET HEALTHY! STARTING WEIGHT 211.8, SURGERY 23 MAR 11; ONEDERLAND 30 MAR 11 199.2

godsend213
on 4/13/11 1:35 am - Fort Carson, CO

RNY on 03/15/11

I am surprised you dont have to pack. it. Mine was maybe an inch and maybe 1 1/2 inches deep, If you dont pack it, you can get an abcess or infection because it will heal from the outside first leaving a hole in your abdomen. I am just about a month out and we have been packing it twice a day since sugery. I am ready to be done lol

I want to participate in life, not observe!

SugarGrl
on 4/13/11 1:43 am

RNY on 03/23/11

Well, when I went to the doc last week he looked it over. I told him I had bought steri strips to try to hold it together and that they didn't work. He said just to put a bandaid over it to keep it dry and it would heal on it's own. I'm afraid of getting a hole. Mine is about 1/8 inch deep and to me looks horrid. Do you just stuff gauze inside it? You dont put any medicines in it? Maybe I should try to cut up some gauze.....

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER! LET'S GET HEALTHY! STARTING WEIGHT 211.8, SURGERY 23 MAR 11; ONEDERLAND 30 MAR 11 199.2

jhiggins5377
on 4/13/11 1:43 am - Rittman, OH

RNY on 02/14/11

I had a big one I had to pack. I never thought it was going to heal. Once I couldn't get anything in there I stopped packing it and just covered it with gauze and tape untilled it stopped draining. Mine took forever, so give it time.

godsend213
on 4/13/11 1:48 am - Fort Carson, CO

RNY on 03/15/11

I am really not trying to ru**** It's just hard to get anything in there. The hole on the outside is so tiny.

I want to participate in life, not observe!

kevinj
on 4/13/11 2:30 am - NY

RNY on 11/16/10

I had 2 that I had to pack and it took over 2 months for them to heal. When it got to your point, my surgeon told me only to put the gauze in the very opening of the hole so the hole did not heal over before the inside healed. It sounds like you are only a couple of days away from not having to do it anymore though.

REDRN
on 4/13/11 3:13 am

RNY on 07/07/10

If there is still depth in it you can try using the wooden end of the cotton applicator to push the packing gauze in.(unless you are using actual qtips) When are you to see the MD again? They may want you to stop packing if the depth is superficial.

Cicerogirl, The PhD
Version
on 4/13/11 3:30 am, edited 4/13/11 3:31 am - OH

RNY on 08/27/07

My tummy tuck incision turned necrotic and I had a giant CRATER in my belly by the time he did 3 rounds of debridement. It took that almost 6 montsh to heal, but we are talking about a really big, wide, deep wound. If it is still big enough that it is possible to pack it, even it means poking the gause in with a q-tip, you should probably continue to pack it. If it too small to pack, then it is simply too small and you just need to wait for more of the tissue to grow back. Be sure to get all your vitamins and as much protein as possible to speed the healing.

Lora

14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

redenallen
on 4/13/11 4:40 am

My home health care nurse said once you couldn't "stuff" anything inside to quit packing the incision and then just lay a gauze over it and tape it up good. I had my open surgery on 03/14/2010 and I wasn't fully healed until July and quit packing the incision at the beginning to middle of June. My incision was about 7 inches long and about 5 inches deep.

Anyone had to pack an incision with gauze? I have a question.

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Anyone had to pack an incision with gauze? I have a question.