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Advice about incisions



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I left the hospital without anyone telling me what to do about the laproscopic incisions dotting my tummy, it's been three days since I got home from TJ and I've only been doing sponge baths and avoiding getting the bandages wet. I've read on other forums to wait till they fall off, is this correct? I'm getting itchy under them and wonder if they should be doctored with more antiseptic and new bandages.

And WOO-HOO! It's been almost a week and I'm down 12 lbs! I actually weigh less than my husband for the first time in 7 years!:P

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If they're still draining, then yes you should clean them and replace the bandages. If there's no drainage and they're dry and clotted, then you can just clean them and keep them uncovered. I was able to shower in the hospital 2 days after I had surgery in TJ so I'm not sure why you would only be able to sponge bathe right now. You should have been given aftercare instructions from your coordinator at the very least.

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These are the indications I give my patients...

1. Wash twice daily with neutral soap and Water...no unapproved creams, ointments, home remedies etc!

2. Cover the incisions with a gauze and secure it with tape.

3. If it itches it is normal. This means that scar tissue is forming.

4. Warning signs:

  • Purulent (pus) discharge that is white-yellow-green, etc
  • Excessive bleeding that will not stop with pressure (applied by yourself)
  • Bright redness around the incision
  • Suture's 'pop out'
  • High grade fever (over 39'C or over 100'F)
  • To prevent all of this follow the cleaning instructions and take your medications as indicated! DO NOT take +/- 1 or 2 hrs

4. If none of this happens you are in the clear.

5. If for some reason your doctors left a penrose drain, contact me and I can give you further pointers.

Let me know if you have other questions...I will be happy to help out.

Best,

Dr. JSA

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If they're still draining, then yes you should clean them and replace the bandages. If there's no drainage and they're dry and clotted, then you can just clean them and keep them uncovered. I was able to shower in the hospital 2 days after I had surgery in TJ so I'm not sure why you would only be able to sponge bathe right now. You should have been given aftercare instructions from your coordinator at the very least.

I did shower at the hospital, but was bundled up again with bandages. Nobody told me what to do with them after I got home...I never saw my coordinator at all the last day, probably because it was a Sunday.

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These are the indications I give my patients...

1. Wash twice daily with neutral soap and Water...no unapproved creams, ointments, home remedies etc!

2. Cover the incisions with a gauze and secure it with tape.

3. If it itches it is normal. This means that scar tissue is forming.

4. Warning signs:

  • Purulent (pus) discharge that is white-yellow-green, etc
  • Excessive bleeding that will not stop with pressure (applied by yourself)
  • Bright redness around the incision
  • Suture's 'pop out'
  • High grade fever (over 39'C or over 100'F)
  • To prevent all of this follow the cleaning instructions and take your medications as indicated! DO NOT take +/- 1 or 2 hrs

4. If none of this happens you are in the clear.

5. If for some reason your doctors left a penrose drain, contact me and I can give you further pointers.

Let me know if you have other questions...I will be happy to help out.

Best,

Dr. JSA

THANK YOU so much. It was wonderful of you to take the time to let me know. Much appreciated.

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CONGRATS on your surgery and weight loss!

Thank you Diva! :D I admit to having fantasies about pizza and Taco Bell, but I'm gonna stay strong...jello and cream of wheat, here I come!

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We're happy to announce the launch of www.SleevePlicationTalk.com ! A new community for pre or post Gastric Sleeve Plication surgery support

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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