Hi, everybody! One of my wounds (the largest, port wound) is not healing well. I had my surgery June 5. About a week post op it started draining alot. I had bruised badly, so my surgeon just said the bruise was breaking up and draining. It looked bad...like the incision was open, and there was this white stuff in the middle. (sorry if I'm grossing anyone out). He said that white stuff was fiborous tissue my body was making to seal the wound. Well, after a round of antibiotics, and another week (at my 2 week follow up), the Dr decided to cut the white stuff away, which aparently left a hole in my abdomen about an inch deep, and to have me pack the wound with gauze. Thank goodness my husband is a nurse! The Dr told me by my next follow up in 2 weeks it should be healed to the point that we cannot put gauze in the wound anymore. From the way my husband says this looks (I haven't really got a good look at it...I have a weak stomach when it comes to stuff like that), he doesn't really expect it to heal that quick at all.

I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else, and how long did it take to heal? Also, when you were healing, did you ever use any waterproof dressings, and how well did they work? I would REALLY like to swim, but my husband thinks this wound is too bad even for me to use a waterproof dressing.

Summer08,

I am so sorry you are having this problem with your port incision. I am also a nurse, and I agree with your husband. No swimming...you could collect all sorts of bacteria. It also sounds like a very slow healing wound. Hang in there and just follow the Dr's orders. Don't do anything to make it worse. I so understand how you feel. I also was banded on the 5th of June. I still have two little scabs on my port incision and I have not gone swimming yet. It is hard to be patient.

Let us know how you are doing!

Sounds like what I had happen after my c-section years ago. It took me 6 months of packing & daily debrieding(Sp?) and the surgeon reopening it once even. To get it closed up but it was MUCH larger then a lapband incision. And even at 6months when the doctor released me it was still 1-inch long. But no longer needed packing just daily gauze changes and meds to prevent infections.

But yes you have an open wound swimming is out of the question till it closes.

You certainly don't want a infection to complicate it right now. I was also told NO BATHS either. Only showers or handbaths. That sucked cause I was still small enough to soak in the tub and couldnt.

It's a good thing your husband is a nurse and can help with this. I had to have nurses come in twice a day to do mine and talk about expensive!! Not to mention some of the nurses weren't to gental either. Debrieding (Scrubbing the dead skin away basicly) wounds really sucks.

Your probably in for a trial on your patience, so hang in there!!

OMG I am going thru the same thing....I am 2 mos. post op...it is almost well but it is so sore...sometimes it is agonizing..I was putting water proof bandages on there and it seemed to make it worse..

I would think waterproof would be the worst thing you can do for a wound trying to heal as they heal faster if they can dry out. Keeping moisture in just makes for germ breeding grounds. Since bacteria breeds best in warm & wet places.

I's check with your doc on that though just to be sure.

I know I was told NO to actually using waterproof bandages on my wound and was encouraged to shower and wash it out before each packing. But otherwise keep it dry. Even if it meant changing the gauze 4 times a day.

The reason they pack gauze in them is so the wound can heal from the inside to the outside and not backwards, My-c section did that despite the packing and the doc zipped it back open with a scalpel one visit cause it was causing a underskin tube of sorts. After he did it and I freaked out on him he explained why he re-opened it. If it heals wrong it could cause nasty problems years later, like infection and reopening.