Staples removed...

Had my staples removed today and where my top one was has opened a little, which my Dr said to expect (no steri strips this high up). However, it seems to be oozing a clear/yellowish liquid and was wondering if anyone else had this. I put in a call to the Dr, but haven't heard yet so just looking to see if I should start worrying or not )

I'm actually just wondering if I should cover it up w/ a bandaid or something, I sure don't want an infection a week after surgery!

Kryshtal,
I think you should just lay a small piece of gauze on the one spot. that is what I did. Hope you are feeling good! Hugs Raymo

What exactly are staples and why do some surgeons use them?
I had sutures - disolvable

Roni....dont know why they use them but they are just like normal metal staples,,,maybe they hold together better ...I have a vertical incision from above belly button to just above pubic bone.

Bev
Tah/bso

Krysthal
I had the same drainage in one spot when my staples came out. I too, just put a clean gauze there to catch the drainage until it stopped. My dr told me it was normal and ok as long as it wasn't green, smelly or pus like. Mine was clearish-yellow just like you described and it eventually stopped when it scabbed over.

I just had my staples removed a couple days ago, and unfortunately my doc had to give me six stitches as the bottom ones opened up too much right in the crease where the tummy dips down. He left it a little open on purpose so it could drain, so apparently that's what it's supposed to do, but it hurts! When I had my RSO in '01 they just used the same incision, and it didn't heal straight the first time (kind of looks like a bell-bottomed pant leg) so I'm having a repeat of last time's healing fiasco. He also gave me this strange folded up napkin-looking thing to wear in the crease and the nurse said I could use my panties to hold it in. I happened to be wearing bikinis that day ('cause the laundry fairy must have overlooked my house!) so that worked, but I don't usually so this is pretty uncomfortable! I keep folding it over and reusing different parts of it as she said gauze wouldn't be good because it would stick to it. I'm really worried that it's going to get infected though, and it looks AWFUL! I went to show DH last night, he said he wasn't sure he could handle it and when he looked he said he almost passed out (well, I wouldn't say it was THAT bad, but you know what wimps men can be when it comes to pain, blood, etc.). I have a return appointment on Monday; the doc said to use a bacitracin/polysporin-type ointment and that the drainage is fine as long as it's clear, but if it turns bloody or looks like pus or gets red and/or swollen that I need to come back in. I really can't tell what it's doing right now; it's so hard to see around the swelly belly into that little crease! I hope these stitches work; I'd almost rather have the staples back in then deal with these! Sounds like yours is okay, just watch for any changes and call your doc if you're really concerned. Good luck!

Thanks guys! Well, by the time the Dr called back, I had noticed the bottom part of my incision was open about an inch and bleeding. (Much like Barbara described - p.s. my husband is a wuss like yours too) The 2 steri strips down there didn't stick at all through the wetness (I assume) and the one above was practically falling off.

Dr said that if it was oozing to put a gauze over it, like you gals said!, and if it was still bleeding in the am, to call him and he'd get me in. It seems to have stopped bleeding. I put some neosporin ointment in it and tried to close it up a little bit with butterfly closures before putting on the gauze (hubby was holding my fat - and it is fat, not swelly belly sorry to say! - up with his eyes closed...took me 5 min to stop laughing which hurt!). Guess I'll keep my fingers crossed that it won't start bleeding again.

You gals are great...I love this place!

P.S. I dropped 10lbs between the surgery and the liquid diet at the hospital - wish me luck in KEEPING it off and hopefully losing more