It took 10 weeks for my open would to heal. I had to pack it with gauze everyday and now it just has this ridge of skin on it, almost like a scab. I just wanted to know if this was normal since I've never had surgery or an open wound before. Should I continue to put a damp gauze and cover it? I would appreciate any input from anyone with experience with this. Thanks!
2007-09-06 09:13:17 · 11 answers · asked by Jessica V 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Injuries
YOur best bet would be to ask a Dr. However, I would think that after 10weeks (Wow) you should not be doing the damp gauze. This will prevent the scab from drying and healing, but i'm not a Doc and think you should ask the one who did this to you.
2007-09-06 09:17:51 · answer #1 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Open Appendectomy Incision
2016-11-07 10:40:40 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing damp as this breeds bacteria. Put on a little Neosporin and cover with a dry sterile gauze pad. In about a week it should be closed. If it isn't, go to the doctor. I have never heard of anyone packing their own appendectomy incision that was open without instruction and a follow up.
2007-09-06 09:18:33 · answer #3 · answered by Sparkles 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What'd you do, give yourself surgery? Normal appendectomy surgery will close the wound with sutures. The wound shouldn't be opened unless you want infections. Sometimes a doctor will elect to allow the wound to seal itself, depending on the length, which packing with gauze with petroleum jelly to avoid drying helps. I had a wound like that once which was treated like I said above. After a while, the wound healed. like a lava flow coming up a crevasse. It's a scar but not as noticeable as I thought it would be.
2007-09-06 09:43:45 · answer #4 · answered by My Final Answer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any surgical procedures can have post-operative complications.
In your case, its open appendectomy. Its complications are higher for late stages like during rupture or perforation.
We surgeons, can take your appendix out without spoilage of any pus from the appendix or avoiding the diseased appendix to touch the edges of the incision(the surgical wound). However, it is very impossible to prevent it whenever an appendix already had ruptured.
A non-ruptured appendicitis can have a clean wound edges but a ruptured appendix won't. A non-ruptured appendicitis can also be sent home without home antibiotic medications without possible complications. However, contrary to that, a ruptured appendicitis warrants antiobiotics treatment post-operatively. And despite the fact that they are given antiobiotics, still complications may set in. This depends on the resistance of the body of the patient. Persons who are malnourished, have chronic kidney disease, on going hemolialysis, chronic diabetes, leukemia or any blood disease, on going chemotherapy, HIV are those with low resistance and easily complicates.
I can tell you all the complications of surgery, however, let me limit myself to your question about wound healing.
Normally, coaptation of wound starts on the 48th hour period after it has been sutured or stapled. By the 7th day, I can say that it is closed and dried. However, if it remains open for quite long time, it can be of the following cause:
1. infectious agent from pus that comes in contact with the wound edges during surgery
2. resistance is low
3. tension in your abdominal and chest cavity like coughing
However, if it healed already and opening is seen at the site of the suture, it is just a response of your body to the foreign body which is the suture material and the removal of that suture will cure it and will start its closure.
jhundevilla@yahoo.com
I am a professor in the college of medicine and a surgeon myself
2007-09-06 09:35:19 · answer #5 · answered by jhundevilla 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, that -is- a scab probably. That's why it looks like one. Your body repairs itself from the inside out, and it's finally gotten to the top layer of skin. You don't have to gauze it anymore, but do be careful about the scab. Don't pick at it. And if it starts swelling and turning red, then it's infected. And then once the scab comes off, you will have a dark pink/purple line where the incision was made, and it will fade ---very slowly---.
2007-09-06 09:20:12 · answer #6 · answered by gilgamesh 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be sure to clean it daily with Bactine and cover it with gauze and antibacterial ointment during the day, leave it uncovered at night.
I hope that you finished your post-op antibiotic, it's very important that it was finished and not just stopped ciz you felt better!
If the wounds don't close and the oozing doesn't stop within the wek, I'd make another appointment with your doctor to be sure that everything's healing according to his plans.
2007-09-06 09:18:23 · answer #7 · answered by cwgrrl7 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is the ridge a scab or scar tissue? If it is scar tissue continuing to cover it will not help. If it is indeed scar tissue, use Mederma on it. the Mederma will soften the ridge and help it to lay flat sooner. It will probably be a wide scar, at some point if that bothers you you might want a scar revision that will remove the scar tissue and hopefully make a nice thin scar.
2007-09-06 09:18:25 · answer #8 · answered by ♥♥The Queen Has Spoken♥♥ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
as long as there is a scab, keep it covered with a dry dressing, don't pick at it. tissue is still healing underneath that scab and it will fall off when the tissue is fully healed.
2007-09-06 09:18:01 · answer #9 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check with your doctor. The wound/incision should be closed, not open.
2016-03-18 01:12:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋