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Incision won't heal



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I'm 4 weeks out and the incision in my belly button, which is the biggest and the one they took my stomach out of, refuses to heal. I've been in 4 times in a week and a half. They have used silver nitrate on it, removed skin that might have been irritating it. I have to pack it twice a day so it wicks out stuff. It's not infected, thank goodness, but this is getting old. The hole has just gotten bigger and bigger. Today was finally the first day that it's bleeding and not draining, so maybe it's finally ready to heal up completely.

post-66368-13813670532853_thumb.jpg

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Looks clean and dry, though I don't see any "knitting" or granuloma tissue yet???

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What in the hell is that? Where are your stitches? Why is it an open gaping wound? I would be less than impressed with that. Were you operated on in the States?

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Looks clean and dry' date=' though I don't see any "knitting" or granuloma tissue yet???[/quote']

They removed the granulated tissue on Monday.

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What in the hell is that? Where are your stitches? Why is it an open gaping wound? I would be less than impressed with that. Were you operated on in the States?

Yes I got sleeved in the states. I popped the stitch on day 3. The rest of the stitches dissolved. I could have a lot worse of a complication.

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My cuts were straight incisions...and no where near my belly button. Glad it's gettin better

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My cuts were straight incisions...and no where near my belly button. Glad it's gettin better

The surgeon says this is the hardest one to heal and that's why he puts it in the belly button, so if the scar is bigger then no one will see it.

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The surgeon says this is the hardest one to heal and that's why he puts it in the belly button' date=' so if the scar is bigger then no one will see it.[/quote']

Mine are on my waist line...hardly notice them anymore...I have one between my breasts but it's tiny...they really are hardly noticeable

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Like Redbean, mine are very slight and just above my waistband and below my sternum. Clearly our surgeons went to the same school! I'm sorry for your troubles, bean. It doesn't look good, but as you say, there are worse things which could have happened. Wishing you a speedy recovery x

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I am having this same problem but not my belly button one. It is the incision on my right side (over my Liver area). I am 6 wks post-op & just now starting to close. I cleanse the area each morning in my shower. Pat dry, blow dry the area on cool setting, do my morning routine etc & then put small gauze/tape over it. No Neosporin. ( Neosporin keeps the hole moist & delays healing). Once home & settled I take off the gauze to air the wound. Just prior to bed I put new gauze/tape on to catch any drainage during the night. This is common to happen to some folks. Slow to heal. Healing from inside outward. Your pic looks great (I'm a nurse) & will eventually close. Just keep it clean & dry as much as possible.

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That doesn't look normal, none of my incisions were round like that, they looked like little vertical lines and I didn't have one there. Can they stitch it shut? It looks like an open wound at this point. Maybe the location of it is causing the issue?

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That doesn't look normal' date=' none of my incisions were round like that, they looked like little vertical lines and I didn't have one there. Can they stitch it shut? It looks like an open wound at this point. Maybe the location of it is causing the issue?[/quote']

It was a straight line incision but when I popped the stitch it just stretched plus when they cut out the dead granulated skin it opened up a bit more.

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I am having this same problem but not my belly button one. It is the incision on my right side (over my Liver area). I am 6 wks post-op & just now starting to close. I cleanse the area each morning in my shower. Pat dry' date=' blow dry the area on cool setting, do my morning routine etc & then put small gauze/tape over it. No Neosporin. ( Neosporin keeps the hole moist & delays healing). Once home & settled I take off the gauze to air the wound. Just prior to bed I put new gauze/tape on to catch any drainage during the night. This is common to happen to some folks. Slow to heal. Healing from inside outward. Your pic looks great (I'm a nurse) & will eventually close. Just keep it clean & dry as much as possible.[/quote']

Same here, but my hubby has insisted that I clean it with peroxide 2x a day and use neosporin.... Go figure. I think I'll just leave it alone for the next week and see what happens. Irritating because all others have healed beautifully and are nice straight lines, hardly noticeable.

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