4 weeks post op wound still leaking

Posted , 12 users are following.

Hi fellow hippies

i am off back to hospital tomorrow  for an emergency appointment with my surgeon. I am 4 weeks post op yesterday ( Feb 16 th ) 

and part of my wound is oozing yellow stuff. It is still quite sore the whole length down too. It was never like this the first time. The first time I asked for melting stitches and never had an issue. This time they put 64 staples in me and I end up with an infection. rolleyes

I will keep you posted on what happens tomorrow. 

Hop op all are healing well

Hailea X 

5 likes, 47 replies

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  • Posted

    Hailea, I hope that whatever is wrong can be treated quickly. Glad the surgeon is going to look at it for you. I had 24 staples in my incision and had no problems whatsoever. I have no idea why a surgeon chooses stitches vs staples. So sorry that he didn't comply with your request for stitches.
    • Posted

      This could become a competition re staples....!!  I had almost 50..so either the staples were very very tiny or I have elephant hips and thighs!

      On a serious note how horrible to have had problems like Hailea has had.  I was fine for any pre op folk reading these posts..so these setbacks are not the norm.

      Ali.

    • Posted

      So true, Alice! Hailea has been through more trauma and pain than most people can even imagine! Hope she is on the path to a pain-free recovery.
    • Posted

      I must have had half that amount - perhaps your surgeon was on commission for the amount of staples he used, or mine was rather mean.

      Perhaps it's NHS cutbacks twisted

    • Posted

      Ahem!  Just as I said maybe I had a HUGE area to cover...I was handed the staples..but my oh my what a difference it made having them removed..This for new hippies or pre op ones!!

      ALIce

      Hope your cold is being drowned by the whisky!!

    • Posted

      Good way to lose weight - losing all that metalwork ?

      Echo it is so nice having them removed, they feel like a zipper.

      Graham (not cured, but feeling much better now thanks)

       

    • Posted

      Hi Alice

      both my hip wounds are around 12" long which after reading some posts I feel my surgeon got a little flush with the knife. But I am quite tall also so that will be a question  to ask him at my 6 week check why my wounds are so long. 

      I think ink I win with 64 staples bough eek

    • Posted

      Hi Annie

      I think it would be hard going for some one to go through what I have been through in the last year and even before that without having some where to share my problems and set backs. What I have gone through is deffinatly not the norm and I do not want to scare anyone but it is good to be educted when things can and do go wrong. I am glad I am on the other side with both my hips now and hopefully I should be able with a lot of rehab through physio to be able to walk unaided at some point. At the moment I can't put my right foot flat on the floor because the tendons have got so used to walking when I was in pain and trying to protect myself from the agony I was going through that they have shortened and locked in position they are in now. I know  walking normally again will only come with time but one step at a time because I have to wait till my 6 week X Ray to make sure physio can even start. So even though I can walk even without the brace on I can't walk correctly. sad

  • Posted

    Oh Hailea, I am so sorry this is happening.  Infection is as frightening to me as dislocation, if not more.  I hope that it is not as bad as it seems.

    Dawn, USA

    • Posted

      Hi Dawn

      yes I agree it is just another thing to add to daily woes and worries we have to deal with on a daily basis but I would never let it rule my life. 

      Life is is for living if it happens it happens if it doesn't count yourself lucky. cheesygrin

  • Posted

    Well I am back from hospital. My surgeon has said he thinks it is just an internal stitch that gave way opening the wound slightly. But he has assured me that there is nothing wrong. The wound looks good. But he has had the wound re dressed by the clinic nurses and will see me again in a week to make sure it stays that way. I am so relieved there is nothing to worry about. 

    Thank you you everyone for your kind messages

    Hailea x

    • Posted

      Oh thank goodness for that Hailea.

      As I always say, if you hadn't had it checked out it would probably have been worse.  Thankfully it's not, and you can stop worrying about it now and get on with recovery.  Such a relief for you and yours.

      Best wishes as always

      Graham

    • Posted

      I'm glad it wasn't too serious. I think you have been through enough, the only way is up. Look after yourself and I know you will keep it in check

      Best wishes

      Brenda

    • Posted

      Hi Graham

      Thank you

      recoverly can't really start till I have had my 6 week X Ray to see if I can dump this brace. Then the hard work of trying to walk correctly can begin. 

      I know it will be a while before I can even ditch one crutch but I am so determined to get there. I just can't rush it though. One step at a time. 👍

    • Posted

      Thank you Brenda

      I think I could write a book to be honest. I really would not wish what I have been through on anyone. But on the other hand I would not be as educated in what I have been through if I had never had gone through it. I feel I know a lot more than most do about hip operations just by being stubborn and not being fobbed off in some of the answers I have been given. Even my surgical team have been surprised at my knowledge and wondering how I know about things they wouldn't expect someone to know or ask about. But I have to say I have absolutly no problems with my surgeon or his team they have been totally open and honest with me and answered every question I have ever asked them. But if I ever have to go back for a revision ( I hope this is years away though ) they will never use staples on me again I have made my stand on that one lol

    • Posted

      Hi Hailea

      i can understand what you are meaning about feeling more educated with having an understanding surgeon.  I am new to this experience and feel I'm not getting any support. 

      Going back 55 years I was knocked down by a motorbike. It was a very serious accident and has left me with mental and physical problems. I have overcome these problems and managed to have a normal life with my then boyfriend who is now my husband and a family. They are supportive but I still need reassurance on medical issues. 

      Because you you have gone through so many things at present it is good to know you are getting support from people who know about theses things.

      Keep up the good work and kind regards 

      Brenda 😀

    • Posted

      Brenda

      as an ex biker I am so sorry you had to go through what you have been through. I have ridden a bike for years. You have done well to get where you are now. 

      As as for educating yourself there is plenty of things on the Internet. But most of it I would take with a pinch of salt. I only know what I do because I have found in the past with other surgeons that if you make yourself seem interested in what they do they tend to explain to you better and help you understand more. But I am particularly interested in hips and this process because of my dogs. To breed the best dogs you have to get certain tests done including getting there hips X rayed so you lessen the chance of breeding in hip displacier. Breeding the lowest scores and making sure you do not breed too closely in your blood lines reduces the chance of breeding bad hips so I already had an interest in this. Makes no difference dog or human it is still interesting to me. 👍

    • Posted

      Hi Hailea

      its nice to hear from you. Your surgeon seems very good, how often do you see him. I've seen mine once when I had an e-ray and he told me I would need a new hip. I've had problems for years but kept putting it off as long as I could. I don't see him again until another 3 weeks, that will then be 8 weeks after the op. I went to the doctors Monday with my foot problem, this time it was third time lucky. She agreed it wasn't right and sent me straight to the hospital. We went at 5pm and didn't get home until 10pm, they took blood and gave me the all clear for blood clots. I had to go back Tuesday morning for an ultra scan and this also showed no blood clots. Well at least that is clear but I still have the problem of a foot that doesn't belong to me and feels like a block of ice at the end of my leg. They say I still have to wait 3 weeks when I see the surgeon, to see if it goes down. They say it is still too soon to tell if there are any problems. I had staples and they say it doesn't look bad but put another dressing on because there was a bit of blood where he had made a fold in the skin.doyou have any ideas 🤔

    • Posted

      Are you having to inject blood thinner into ur tummy ? I had awful 'dead' foot problem it felt heavy and cold but when I stopped wearing the surgery socks and finished the injections it soon felt normal. Hope u find an answer soon x
    • Posted

      Hi susan

      ive stopped wearing the surgical socks, didn't know whether that was the reason it was swelling. The only blood thinner I'm taking are aspirin and I take a blood pressure tablet. I've had bloods checked and an ultra scan on muscles and there's no sign of blood clots. I have to wait 3 weeks until I see the surgeon and hopefully the swelling may have gone down. I keep feeling it's a nerve problem but they say it's too soon o tell.

      Brenda x

    • Posted

      Must be worrying for you but I've seen a few posts over the last few weeks about various swellings I really do hope you get sorted. Keep us informed big hugs xxx
    • Posted

      Hi Brenda

      thank you. My surgeon is excellent. Can't fault him or his team. 

      If I have a problem I just phone my surgeons secretary or his registra on the ward. and they will see me to make sure I am ok. Like today I went back to have my wound checked and have had the dressing removed. It is all clean and dry no leaking. It has taken a lot longer to heal ( 4 weeks post op today )  having had staples. My wound is still very sore and tender.  I had melting stitches last time and was fully healed at 2 weeks post op with no wound pain. So I won't be having staples again at all. 

      Ok as for you I would phone your surgeons secretary. If you do not know how to get in touch with her. Phone the hospital switch board tell them your surgeons name and ask to speak to his secretary. You should not be left like that there is clearly something wrong demand an appointment with your surgeon ASAP and not one of his under studies. You should be having a 6 week check not an 8 week check. 

      I do do not bother with GPs or A& E my surgeon caused the issue my surgeon will sort it out for me. He knows that I won't take no for an answer and I do not phone his secretary or one of his team without good cause. 

    • Posted

      Brenda. You may well need to go back to the ward you were on for your surgery and get re measured for your stockings. You can't stop wearing them till week 6 because with swollen legs you could be at more risk of DVT. 

      You may well need a bigger size. Did you ever take a break during the day from wearing them? You can take them off 3 X per day to give you a break for an hour each time. Have you been washing your feet and lower legs at all?  If not that can also cause problems. You should put moisturiser on the skin to help stop it drying out and cracking. 

      Great at test to see if you have DVT in your calf muscle is to do your foot pumps on the leg you had your op on if you can pull your foot as hard back as you can just once towards the sky keeping your leg flat on the bed. if it does not hurt like heck in your calf muscle you do not have DVT. My surgeon told me that test.

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