Need surgery, but have mrsa;

[DandyDon]

Does anyone have any idea about the protocols for surgery, when someone has mrsa? I have a huge goiter in my neck that needs to be removed, but am concerned about getting mrsa in my neck. I have been told that people who already have mrsa, can get the infection thru the incission, if the medical team does not make sure the incission sight is 100% sterile. I guess they mean if where you are cut at, if it is not totally sterile, you could get another infection from your own original infection. Thanks !    

[VictimOfMRSA]

I have an MRSA abominal (over 30 cm wide x 11 cm deep initially) hospital aquired wound infection from an attempted hysterectomy since OCT 1999.  First of all you need an Infectious Disease specialist out of a Medical Center i.e. a teaching hospita if you don't have onel, both of you.

You are correct about a lot of what you're saying, their are huge risks to surgery but do yourself a favor too. When posting, do a spell check Pain Management as it's difficult to understand some of what you're saying. I'm not being critical.

Vancomycin is the initial drug of choice (IV only) and first to work on MRSA.  It helped me for two years after a PICC line for 6 weeks.  It's back, painful and I'm distraught and frightened.  Cubicin is another alternative and many new drugs are coming our way.  It all comes down to HYGIENE especially on the part of hospital staff or people in the medical field.  I got a dirty OR or instruments and I am living in basic Hell for someone's errors or laziness at a premier institution in NYC. My surgeon was held in high regard, he had his board certifications in OB/GYN  Gen and Vascular Surgery and a Sub speciality in GYN Oncology.  He is not the head of a GYN Oncology Deptartment at Hackensack Hosp in NJ. Big deal!  He did not even accomplish the salpingooopherectomy, I was left with ovaries, tubes and he couldnt get my uterus out.  I wound up with MRSA instead that he blamed ME for due to prior surgeries???

Regarding your case, I hope they give you the right antibiotics and don't start cutting, it can and most likely will make it spread. MRSA surgical wounds need to heal OPEN, packing from the inside out, never closed!  You need to be on a medication for the MRSA before during and after surgery

Bottom line, go for a second opinion AND third opinion.  I traveled to the Mayo Clinc (where they could not help me.)  The surgeon told me at the very least I would wind up with a cholostomy (sp?)  (bag to empty the colon :*(  if I had surgery)  Talk about being devasted........

Don't let them cut until you get doses of a medication to clear it up and even then you are taking a chance.  The medications may do what you want without surgery.

Good luck and the best of health to all.  

PS  Please keep others informed, educate all the people you can about this dreaded disease and don't forget, it is attracted to METAL (I have surgical clips in my pelvis, just found out!)   One more reminder, DONT GO ON A MEDROL DOSE PACK(pred)!  It lowers your immunities and part of the reason this resurfaced for me.

[PainManagement]

As long as the site is free of infected   tissue it should be ok  the thing that will stop a surgery in a flash is blood infection .
Nobody like to see there work get distroid and a blood bacterima will atack a fresh surgery site quickly

I was also diagnosed with mrsa  on 1-10-08  and the say it has spread from my upper lip to my sinuse cavity.
In my case tey want to cut out the infection but whats to stop it from spreading into my blood and ive read  mrsa in the blood  is a slow death march

good luck and  God help
PainManagement