Exploratory Surgery scar

klyn13jwl · May 21, 2008

I turned 40 this year. In 1987 I had exploratory surgery due to a bad car accident. Twenty years later, my PCP tells me that the scar has herniated in three spots and they have to repair it. To make a long (and painful) story short, the mesh got infected and it had to be removed. I was left with an open wound and a wound vac due to the severity of the infection. The scar goes all the way to my stomach. That's a good 3-4 inches deep and begins at my navel and ends just below my rib cage. My question today is.....could this cause such a problem that I wouldn't even be considered for surgery? No, I can't talk to my 'Surgeon' about it, I haven't gotten that far yet. I had to clear it with my nephrologist first. I'm just hoping that there are other people out there that have had stomach surgeries that have prevailed.

Thanks,

Kellyn :wink2:

recov1 · May 23, 2008

Hi Kellin,

I'm sorry to hear about the accident though it was long ago...

I had a scar like you and had no problem getting a "Band" I went to Mexico, If you really feel that you want it I would check out Dr. ACEVES in Mexicali, he really seems like a caring doctor. But you should have no problem getting the surgery here in the US Just because of a scar. They use Laproscopic tools they are kinda like long skinny poles with special tools at the ends. They make little holes to pass those tools inside under the veiw of a camera.

Hope this helps

gone 4 ever · May 25, 2008

Hi Klyn, I have a horrible exploritory scare along with a c-section scare. My scare is from 1989 almost died and went home after 2 weeks in hospital just 2 be home 4 days and put back in for a month. Then they left me with an opened wound. But my dr has a machine that checks the scaring somehow. He said there was only 1 person that he could'nt do LB on. Of course I started to panick but he told me I was fine and was getting it. Most drs don't know until they get in if they can do the surgery or not. But I assume it is very rare that they can't do it because of scare tissue. I hope I put you at ease some. Good luck :biggrin:

teacherofk · May 25, 2008

Hey you have made me feel better. I too live in Alabama and Dr. Groves is doing my surgery if insurance approves it which should be no problem. I have been opened 2 times and have a scar all the way down my stomach. Dr. Groves told me there is a chance he can't do the surgery but will not know until he gets in there. Did your surgery with him go well and did you go home that day? Tell me all about it. LOL. They are filing my insurance next week.

srcollins · December 18, 2010

Hello everyone! I'm 21 and I too was in a serious auto accident in July 2010 where I lost my father. I had exploratory surgery and some intestinal repairs and the surgeons left my incision open to heal on it's own. I came home a month and a half later with a wound VAC. I didn't have and problems with the surgery or healing and the would took 3 months to heal. My stomach looks pretty grusome. The wound closed inward to about and inch and a half wide and the rest filled in by granulating from the bottom up. It's about 6 inches long. It's pushed the skin and tissue on the sides of it up in kind of a roll. My trauma surgeon told me I'd have to wait about a year before having reconstructive surgery so all of the swelling and scarring would be finished. Any suggestions on searching techniques for finding a reconstructive surgeon who has experience in working with scars like this? Thanks guys!