Hematoma Hell after Revision

[TexasT 99]

I know I've read of a few people having hematomas (pools/clots of blood) after surgery, but I'm one of the few whose incision came open and now I'm having to deal with an open wound.

I had a band to sleeve revision on 1/08/10. When I went to have my staples removed, the post-care doc said to keep an eye on the swelling under my largest incision (where the port had been with my band). The swelling was the size of a lemon and pretty hard. It kept getting more and more purple/bruised looking and the swelling did not go down.

On Saturday Jan. 23 (2 wks post-op) I was sitting down drying my hair after a shower. When I stood up it looked like I had been shot in the stomach. Blood was everywhere. I pulled my shirt up and saw that the incision above the hematoma had come open releasing the blood. I called my surgeon and he met me at the ER. The now open wound had to have the internal stitches removed (very painful!), then he cleaned and flushed it out and packed it with cotton packing before covering it with gauze.

Once an incision comes open it has to stay open to prevent an abcess/infection. So twice a day my dear hubby cleans and re-packs my wound for me. He's a hunter and isn't squeamish about stuff like that. I looked at my wound once without the packing in it and almost gagged. Can't handle it! This continues to be pretty painful and is causing a definate slowdown of my recovery. I'm healing and have no infection, so I'm grateful for that. I still wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy though!

I wish I could scream from the rooftops for people to NOT get the band - having to remove that port that had been put in so well in the first place really tore me up inside and left a big hole for all that blood to pool in. Those of you having the sleeve as your only WLS are so lucky!

[Itstime 0]

I am so sorry you went through this. There is another poster, Shontel, I believe that had an abscess also, very painful. Please take care of yourself and start working that sleeve!

[Tiffykins 672]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that just sounds horrific. I hope it all heals up quickly, and sending you some good thoughts ! ! !

[Lee 19]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. I hope you heal quickly and can get on with your journey!

[LAN2k 18]

God so sorry for your pain! Thank God your guy can help you take care as it heals. I hope your recovery will be fast and you can get on with life as you lose the weight you intend to lose.

[Barbara278 9]

TexasT, so sorry for your issues. Good thoughts and prayers are heading your way. Keep us posted on your recovery.

[Kokonut 0]

That is soo brutal! I am so glad that you are doing better and the your awesome hubby can do the dressing for you. Man do I feel so lucky that I found this place BEFORE I got the band. It totally made my choice so much easier!

Feel better fast and I am sending you healing energies!

[Dee 39]

What staples did you have? Did you have an open procedure? My understanding is that with a lap revision there would not be staples? I am concerned with them getting this port out aka a tumor. Take care of your wound and follow the directions in its care!-wash hands and keep the dressing in place!!! (protein helps the body to heal..) Did you get another antibiotic???

[Headhunter 0]

I had a Hematoma as well, but under a little different circumstances. I "got" mine when i went in for my first fill. I had an idiot doctor, and he was somehow able to create a hematoma by using the fill needle in the wrong way. VERY painful for a several days.....

[TexasT 99]

Dear Stuck, my revision was all done lap, not open. And this included having my gall bladder removed also. My surgeon uses staples on ALL of his incisions, even the teeny ones, but removes them less than a week after surgery. And yes, when I went back to have my follow-up appointment after the wound opening up I was put on an antibiotic for a couple of weeks just to be safe.

I'm working very hard to keep drinking that Protein, and the wound is healing very nicely already. It's draining MUCH less, is barely painful at all, and according to my husband he's using less and less packing each day, which means the bottom of the "hole" is filling in with muscle again. :confused1:

[Shontel 3]

TexasT: I had an abcess on my wound, Very Similar to you..... you can look at my blog, I posted photos of it. At least yours opened on its own, I had to have mine re-opened, and packed.....its a pain in the a** but it does get better, I had very bad pain from my incision as it was infected. Did you have a drain after surgery? Good luck and hope you feel better!!

[TexasT 99]

Shontel, no I didn't have a drain after surgery. My hematoma was about the same size as yours but my skin above it was completely purple. Thank goodness mine has never been infected. I'm on antibiotics right now just in case though. I've been downing the Protein, trying to get muscle to grow back and close up that wound. My hubby is still packing it for me and says it's getting smaller every day. Luckily the pain is virtually gone, so I'm very thankful for that too.

Taking those ports out must be torturous to our insides based on what I've seen and heard!

[camkids 11]

I know this is WAY after the last post, but I just had a band to sleeve conversion, and have a lemon sized hematoma at the port site, that occasionally decides to drain. (all over my clothes and sheets...etc). How long did it take for your wound to heal? Have you had problems since? Thanks.