troubles with largest incision

Hi all-

Still have issues with my largest incision healing. My surgeon says it's because I am having trouble with it healing because of me being diabetic. I have had issues since my second or third week post op. I have had it opened up to let it drain. I have had a drain put in. The drain was working and taken out when it stopped draining. The drain was taken out and it was starting to heal and then infection got worse. Today my surgeon decided to open incision and make another incision and cleaned them then packed them. A nurse will start coming tomorrow to my house to change packing and bandages. My sugars are doing good so it's not that. I am eating properly and getting my protein in. Has anyone who is diabetic or not had this issue?

A week after surgery they took me off all my diabetic medications, my blood sugars have been running 90 to 130 and my next a1c will be drawn in December. A1c before surgery was 6.3. All of my incisions have healed with no problems and I was considered diabetic for 6 almost 7 years

I barely needed insulin after surgery. I currently take 10 to 20 units at meals if my sugar is high enough. My last A1C was 5.5 today I had my blood drawn and see my endocronolgist Friday. The highest I have seen my sugar since surgery was 144. All of my other incisions healed with no problem except the largest incision.

My husband, who was not diabetic, had a staph infection after a surgery. It took almost three months of packing the wound before it healed completely. The surgeon who operated on him had six patients that day in that operating room and all of them ended up with staph infections.

Something happened that caused that germ to invade those patients that day. Someone or something was not clean enough.

Diabetes causes slow healing but did not cause the infection.

Work with the nurse and follow all instructions to keep things as sterile as possible while this is healing.

The visiting nurse came today and my insurance covers unlimited visits. The nurse will come everyday. Glad because it worried me about trying to change the packing myself. Sorry to hear of your husbands Staph infection he dealt with.

No I've not heard of that happening as one of the side effects but it makes sense. It's an open wound and one that's in a place that rubs and gets exposed to germs.

I'm glad you have specific would care now. Hopefully you'll heal soon.

Hi Dorothy,

I hope you are healing well. I had surgery Nov 21, 2017. Bad infection in largest incision several days after surgery. Went back to operating room, opened it up, cleaned it out and ended up with a 1cm wide x 5 cm deep x 6.5 cm log open wound.

My surgeon wanted it cleaned and packed 2x day. My mom did this for me God Bless her so much! After a week of this and it healing well, he put me on a Wound Vac. It is healing me very quickly. You have to keep up fluids and even increase your protein from 60 to 90 grams if you can, I know its hard..as this protein is what is generating all of the new tissue.

Also mine hurt excruciatingly bad, so they ordered me some lidacane that the nurse now uses when they come 3x week to change my wound vac. They say I am looking at about another 4 weeks to heal.

Ask your Doctor about a wound vac.

I hope you are healing well!

Reina

Reina-

My incision is finally healed. The nurse stopped packing it Saturday. I was just keeping it clean and put a 4x4 on it. It closed up completely Wednesday. Saw Surgeon yesterday he is happy with the healing and my weight loss. I have lost 108 pounds 68 since surgery. Thank you and have a Happy Holiday.