1. Community
  2. Women's health
  3. Uterine Fibroids

Myomectomy scar post 11 week surgerym- itching, soreness and tips

Posted , 4 users are following.

tee23778
tee23778

I was wondering if anyone can give me some tips on myomectomy scars.

I had an open myomectomy on 30 Jan 2020 and I had a 15cm horizontal cut which has finally healed. I'm currently 11 weeks post surgery and I've noticed at times, my scar will be sore and itch and occasional swells up. I've started working out in the last 3 weeks and found that I have had to wear a waist trainer to stop my stomach flapping about as I now have a pouch.

I still haven't got the feeling back in my lower stomach beneath my belly button and just above my scar. I can touch the area and there is no feeling at all. I've read this is pretty common and it will come back in time.

The scar is smooth in some areas and not so much in other parts and you can feel hardness under the skin.

Can anyone advise how to stop the scar from itching and what I can use to rub into the scar.

Thanks!

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Mille33
    Mille33 tee23778

    Posted

    i had mine done in october of 2019. i used to be scared to scratch mine but then i realized it wont hurt it so i just scratch it whenever it itches then i add aquaphor to it. i do realized that i got a pouch after surgery too.

  • laura08802
    laura08802 tee23778

    Edited

    hi

    glad to hear you're healing well and starting to work out. start slow as you may be visibly healed on the top layer of skin but will still be healing underneath so wont be back to normal for a while.

    Scar-wise, I had a 20 cm vertical incision from below my belly button to well below my bikini line. Hence i was very conscious to do the right things. My op was in 2017, so its now really well healed, barely visible at the top but a bit more raised in the bottom portion (under bikini line) and where i naturally crease as the scar bunched up a bit there.

    So, the good news is there's lots you can and should do to look after your scar. Get a silicone strip scar remover (Amazon has loads) which you wear over the incision and it aids healing and keeps the skin soft and helps scars fade. Rub bio oil or something similar into it a couple of times a day.

    Now for the bit that no one told me until I started seeing a Physio specialising in women & pregnancy - massaging and cupping. (This had the most noticable difference but was a bit counter intuitive). When the incision is healed on top you need to start massaging firmly and stretching the skin of the scar at all levels (eg dont just rub the surface skin, start there then go deeper) so that you dont get adhesions or your scar anchoring your skin to the spot as it will pull and cause discomfort. Start slow, move in circles along the length and push deep and at the surface layer. You'll start to notice the different layers of skin - worth looking up a diagram so you can picture the layers you are trying to separate. Do this with the oil twice a day.

    If you scar feels anchored/skin stuck in place stretch it in the opposite direction and hold for 10 secs. Mine did, especially where I naturally crease along my bikini line, as the stitches stretched here and caused the skin to heal a bit bumpy - this bit took the most time and effort to smooth and 'unstick'.

    Also buy a chinese cup (Amazon has silicone ones that are good), and use it to cup the scar skin (suck it up into the cup) and then move that along the scar. This is all about freeing the different layers of skin from one another so that it moves naturally like the skin around the scar. Use it on some normal tummy skin to spot the difference and the end result you are trying to achieve. This also increases the blood flow to the area which aids the deeper healing too.

    Good luck and let me know if that doesn't make sense. As I said, I thought my physio was bonkers at first as i'd been really delicate with the incision site and scar, but she assured me and although it was sore at first, it worked wonders.

  • laura08802
    laura08802 tee23778

    Posted

    oh forgot to say, if you are swelling after working out, you are doing too much too soon! Be gentle on yourself - it takes time for you to fully heal and if you jump back to what you did pre-op (no matter how fit you are) you could cause damage.

    Remember, you only have once chance to heal & recover well, so take it slower than you think and be kind to yourself! xx

    • tee23778
      tee23778 laura08802

      Posted

      Hi Laura,

      Thanks for the detailed response sent and the advice.

      I checked out the silicone strips on Amazon but wasn't sure which ones were good so I opted for a silicone gel so hopefully this helps. I'm on day one of rubbing oils into the scar and fingers crossed this helps as the scar is starting to feel tight which could explain the recent pain or maybe its because my period is due shortly or the exercise. Who knows!

      I totally get what you mean about the skin achoring. It feels that way mainly on my right side where most of my fibriods were removed from. This is also the side which is the most lumpy too.

      Fingers crossed everything starts to work in aiding my scar heals.

      Thanks again!

  • LandzM
    LandzM tee23778

    Posted

    Dear Tee..

    I'm happy to hear that you are well enough to gym, I'm still struggling with walking but will get there.

    With regards to you scar, the nurse told me to use saline solution and cotton wool to clean it, that helped me a lot with the itchiness.

    One weird thing that I've noticed is that when I shampoo and condition my hair in the shower, that irritates my incision,.not sure if that happens to you too, but shower gel is fine.

    Take it easy at the gym, don't do too much to soon, especially ab exercises- which are ironically the ones we need to get rid of the pouch and swelly belly.

    all the best and take care

    • tee23778
      tee23778 LandzM

      Posted

      Hi LandzM,

      Thank you for taking your time to reply and sorry to hear that you are struggling with walking. I also struggled too. My family made a point of getting me up walking within days of the op as well as the hospital. Not a far walk but as a way to slowly increase over the weeks/months.

      I used the saline solution when my cut was healing especially has I had a few infections and my cut opened up a little twice...that was pretty upsetting. I too had the experience of irritation with my cut but from shower gel which is how I know the cut was not completely closed and healed. I also wash my hair separate from my body by leaning over the bath due to the amount of hair products I put in my hair (afro).

      Its such a catch 22 with the ab exercises, you need to do the exercises to build back up the muscles so pilates is amazing for that but then it can also cause pain. Is the pain an indication of doing too much or just the area still be very sensitive? All a bit confusing but I've paused it for this week to see how I get on with the pain.

      Thanks again and I hope you start to feel your normal self soon.

    • laura08802
      laura08802 tee23778

      Posted

      yes pain means you are doing too much, so listen to your body. You might not know you've done too much until the next day - pain, swelling belly, aches, tiredness etc all mean you did too much. I pushed it too much a few times and always paid the price the following day!

      I moved to Pilates after i'd built up my walking to an hour a day and completed 6 physio sessions. My Pilates teacher is also a physio and tailored my programme from the rest of my class. There weren't any strong abdominal for a couple of months, as the muscles need to restitch, heal and slowly build up over time. I always had to protect my back a bit more too, as no core muscles to rely on. I had a vertical incision, so probably a bit different as a lot more muscle groups cut through, but still worth being extra cautious.

      Are you getting the advice of a physio with you exercise plan? If not, take it slow and carefully and stop before it hurts. You will get back to normal, so just be patient and don't worry about you tummy pooch 😃

    • tee23778
      tee23778 laura08802

      Posted

      Hi laura08802,

      Thanks for the reply.

      I had a horizontal cut so I believe this means less muscles were cut through. I had a few physio sessions whilst in hospital and surprisingly this included moves from pilates. My pilates instructor has since adapted exercises for me which I can work through with ease.

      I'm still continuing my break for this week and will try very light exercise next week. Definitely needed during this lockdown!

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.