Post Surgical Drains

I had an abdominal hysterectomy Nov 7. I started running a fever one week after I was home. Yesterday, I had to go back to the dr because I had excessing drainage from the lower part of the incision. The Dr. had to open a small part of the incision at the bottom. She thinks the fluid collection is what was causing the infection. Now I have a small hole. She says it will heal from the inside out.

My concern is that she did not put drains in during my surgery. When I had to have abdominal surgery two years ago to remove an tumor and ovary she inserted two drains that drained for several week.s.

Has anyone else had this problem with their incision? Did you have abdominal drains??

This has become so frustrating !!!

I had my TAH on 11/01 and the same thing happened to me. Fluid collected near the incision and he cut right below my incision but he put a wick of gauze for a day then he packed it with the sterile type gauze for two days then I went back and he did a "silver nitrate" silver to help it heal from the inside out. This happened last Tuesday and it's still draining not much. Now I only have a gauze to cover and collect the drainage. I won't see my dr. 'til next Monday if everything goes well. You I did not have a fever, and he put me on antibiotics the day I had the cut in the incision, he said it would prevent infection.
Now, I wonder how long will the healing process take?
Good Luck!

Hi baj -

I had a TAH on Oct 23rd. One week later about a 2 inch area in the middle area of my incision opened and a hematoma had developed, opened and bleed out.

For one week, twice a day the area had to be packed and dressed. The depth was 3 or 4 inches deep. I was also put on Levaquin.

After a week (11/5) the Dr advised that it was not healing from the inside out as quickly as he had hoped. I was admitted back into the hospital that day and a 15 minute surgery was arranged where he opened the entire incision area cleaned, viewed, and removed another clot that was developing and put in a JP tube.

The JP tube bulb was emptied twice a day and we tracked the ml. In the hospital 10ml was removed twice a day. At home 5ml, then 2ml, and finally 1ml. At the end of the week the JP tube was removed and the following Monday the staples removed.

Healing has taken place and the steri strips are coming off on their own.

I see the Dr tomorrow as a follow up for him to look at the incision area. The little hole where the tube came out is healing up as well.

I feel so much better now and appreciate my Dr for staying onto top of it all and when he saw that it wasn't healing like he felt did something about it.

I feel and understand your frustration. It's scary as well.

Watch your fever. When do you go back?

Sending you prayers!
Songbird

Luckily my Mom is staying with me so she is able to clean the incision and insert the gauze. I go back to see the Dr the monday after Thanksgiving. She hasn't mentioned the silver nitrate yet.

It is frustrating because I was feeling great. I am also wondering how long it will take to heal. I think I was in shock yesterday so I couldn't think of any questions to ask the Dr.

Please keep me updated on your status. I hope you get to feeling better.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by baj1205 Luckily my Mom is staying with me so she is able to clean the incision and insert the gauze. I go back to see the Dr the monday after Thanksgiving. She hasn't mentioned the silver nitrate yet. It is frustrating because I was feeling great. I am also wondering how long it will take to heal. I think I was in shock yesterday so I couldn't think of any questions to ask the Dr. Please keep me updated on your status. I hope you get to feeling better.

My dh helps me out alot. You are lucky to have your Mom help you out. I also see the dr. on the 26. I know it''s frustrating I was feeling great I had even gone out to lunch the day before. Then I got scarred I thought maybe I over did the walking part but dr. said that was not the case.
Keep us posted on your healing.
Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving !!