One of my incisions has opened up

ShannonRT · August 13, 2007

The larger of the 2 incisions on the left side of my belly has opened back up. Well, really only half of it. Tomorrow I will be 2 weeks post op. My Dr. uses Dermabond to close the incisions and all the Dermabond was gone. Everything's been fine and they looked great.

Well, today I went swimming (well, more like floating) in our community pool and when I got home and took my swimsuit off I noticed the opening in the incision.

It's really weird and actually kind-of gross. If I weren't in the medical field, I would probably freak out. You can see a little pocket in there, but it doesn't look infected.

I put Neosporin on it and tried to hold it together and while I put a Band-Aid over it. I called the nurse and my Dr. isn't in the office tomorrow but she wants me to come by so she can look at it.

So much for being on time for my first day back at work!

Anybody else experienced this?

WASaBubbleButt · August 13, 2007

The larger of the 2 incisions on the left side of my belly has opened back up. Well, really only half of it. Tomorrow I will be 2 weeks post op. My Dr. uses Dermabond to close the incisions and all the Dermabond was gone. Everything's been fine and they looked great.
Well, today I went swimming (well, more like floating) in our community pool and when I got home and took my swimsuit off I noticed the opening in the incision.

It's really weird and actually kind-of gross. If I weren't in the medical field, I would probably freak out. You can see a little pocket in there, but it doesn't look infected.

I put Neosporin on it and tried to hold it together and while I put a Band-Aid over it. I called the nurse and my Dr. isn't in the office tomorrow but she wants me to come by so she can look at it.

So much for being on time for my first day back at work!

Anybody else experienced this?

Swimming is not a great idea. The incisions have to fully heal, scabs fallen off, and scar tissue intact before you can go swimming, take a bath (vs. shower), etc. Sadly, this scenario is begging for an infection.

Don't touch it with your bare hands at all, keep it clean, use a sterile dressing just to keep it covered and wait for your doc to call back. If you get a lot of redness, draining, bad odor, stripes up and down your belly, go to an ER quickly. Do not wait, just go.

WASaBubbleButt · August 13, 2007

BTW...

Keep in mind, one of the many reasons swimming is a bad idea for surgical incisions is that you mention your pool is a community pool. Do you know how many people pee in a pool? And you have an open wound.

No more swimming until you are healed!!!

kacee · August 13, 2007

You can pick up some butterfly bandages from the drug store and use them to help keep the wound closed. Chances are that's what your doctor will put on it anyway, unless he glues it again or something.