Wound not healing post operation

[Normski09]

Hi

I had my operation at the end of July 2020.

Wound has been a real problem and am still having to see a nurse every week and wear dressings due to leaking and bleeding....

Anybody else out there have problems?

Thanks

[080311]

Hello Normski09

Welcome to the forum, not somewhere you would have thought you would be joining. Can’t help with your wound not healing I am afraid, didn’t have a problem like that . Have they said why it’s not healing have they taken a swab to check for infection?

Someone might be along to help having had the same problem.

I really wish you the very best getting this sorted.

Pauline

[Normski09 in reply to 080311]

Hi PaulineSwabs taken and no identified infection.

Yesterday bleeding was so intense had to call 111 in week 21 post operation....

Joy .....🤨

Thanks

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello Joy and welcome to the forum!

Sorry to hear you have ongoing problems with your wound. Wound healing is a funny business. I returned home after eight days with the wound healed and no dressing but the pain was such I was on Tramadol for another month! That was in 2018. This July I had a BKA (below knee amputation). This wound took many weeks to heal but subsequently reopened four times. At one stage I was on intravenous antibiotics for a week. It has now been healed (?) for two months. It still gets very sore when I have a session with the prothesis. Have you had any courses of antibiotics. One consultant put me on one as a precaution "just in case" and I believe it was beneficial. Has it been checked to ensure there is no infection in the bone below?

Please do keep us updated.

[Normski09 in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi MichaelBeen on several different antibiotics and creams all with no success so far.

Amputation makes mine a minor problem.

Thanks

[Normski09 in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi MichaelBy the way my name is Norman - the Joy was a failed attempt to describe how I felt...

Cheers

Norman

[Hidden]

Hi Norman

Has anyone talked to you about Vacum Assisted Closure (VAC) as a possible way to resolving your issue.

Its a process I'm currently going through after my heart surgery and unfortunately subsequent wound infection.

google.com/search?client=ms...

[Normski09 in reply to Hidden]

Hi

I will certainly investigate and let you know if I make progress.

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ah the VAC dressings - with your own perosnal Henry Hoover pump to keep you connected to the plug socket 👍 I was never so glad to move to a PICO Dressing - small pumps that are portable instead of that orange monster...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Mine's more of a Dyson, small and portable with its own 2 mtr round the neck piping 😀😀, all stored rather neatly in its own NHS Vuitton Louis shoulder bag.....well that's what my daughter has named it 🤔.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

You lucky so and so, but then mine was use whilst 'trapped in bed' - i couldnt initially walk when i woke up so didnt need such a delightful model as yours 😆

I just found the whole experience amazing as to how much of a science wound management is - "ooh, lovely granulation in that wound..."

[Janma123]

Hi Norman, what is your diet like? Are you short of any vitamins or minerals or do you have any other health conditions that can affect healing?I remember many years ago my son got frostbite in the sole of his foot and had an area of dead tissue removed. It was not healing well in hospital and grafts were being spoken of. However he was allowed home for the weekend and, as mums do, I provided whatever he fancied to eat. His choice of foods were all high protein. When we got back to the hospital on the Sunday night his foot was beginning to heal and new skin was growing.

I hope you heal soon. Hubby still gets ‘niggles’ from his chest scar particularly at the bottom, I wonder if is caused by car seat belts??

Jane

[Normski09 in reply to Janma123]

Hi Jane

My diet is pretty good with very little junk food. 90% home cooked , organic and plenty of vegetables. I take a mixture of vitamins and minerals and have no known other health conditions. The only thing that kept showing as low when tested in hospital was magnesium.

Thanks

Norman

[Hidden]

OK, so i had my op in July and have finally got the chest wound dressing removed

😀😀😀 My Wound Investigation Nurse is hopefull that when i visit her next week shee will finally be able to discharge me form her care - i would love to think so 👍 My leg wound was still what they called a 'wet wound' in mid December, thoguh it seems to be drying up now.

I still have some dressing on the leg from where they took a vein for the CABG (they took a section almost the full length of my left leg) - and apparently this is not unusal, though not a regular event, if you get the distinction.

Healing of wounds depends very much on the condition of your body and mind, and also how your body responds to the shock of such invasive surgery. It is very much a case of look and try to work out what is impacting on your wounds recovery.

My issue was very much down to diet, or lack of it. Due to complications i was unable to eat solids for about 3 months, and even now it is easier to tell you what i can eat rather than what i cannot eat. I've lost 5 stone in weight in about 4 months and have finally managed to get my dietary intake to the level where my weight is now stable. Next step, to get enough food in me to undertake normal daily activities and stop the dizzy spells and lifght headedness i experience. One step at a time for me...

I have every hope you will get this issue sorted out, its just a tad frustrating - which is what makes this such a great forum - you get help of people who have experienced similar And professionals who udnerstand the science behind it.

[Normski09 in reply to Hidden]

Hi

Thanks for the feedback.

You have had more to deal with than me as I have been able to eat normally if smaller portions than before. I am fortunate that despite a scar the length of my left calf it has healed fine so the problem is limited to the chest.

I think the common theme that seems to be coming out here that despite the glossy descriptions of post operation recovery not many of us are playing golf or tennis after 12 weeks....

Much as each of the surgeons, nurses etc have been personally great there is a real gap being caused by Covid lockdown and a lack of joined up process.

The health approach is very much to pass you off to the GP who has 10 minutes a year in his timeline for you.. We all got here by a long drawn out range of circumstances covering genetics, lifestyle, food, stress, to name but a few. A one size fits all response is not quite appropriate. I have been very interested in functional medicine approaches for a while and they make even more sense to me now.

I think the lack of face to face follow up and exercising has been a real negative for me. I am sure seeing and talking to others would have helped us all.

Here’s to a more social 2021 and a speedier recovery for us all...

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to Normski09]

You've made a valid point on the face to face follow ups post surgery. I was finally able to speak to my surgeon last week who literally answered all my questions and put in to place all the actions that required doing to enable a central and cohesive plan of recovery.

Obviously Xmas and New Year have got in the way, and now Tier 4 Covid Restrictions - but your point re the workload of GP's was extremely valid, and mine was honest to the situation.

All the best for your chest wound recovery and 2021

[Gundoglady]

Have you tried medical grade Manuka honey, it's my go to for any slow healing wound.I use the activon honey products.

[Normski09 in reply to Gundoglady]

Hi Gundoglady

I will certainly investigate and let you know how it goes.

Thanks

Norman