C-section nightmare

My dd had a c-section on april 27 it all seemed good, then 5 days later she goes to get staples out there was a small opening but ob said nothing to worry about, on way home she walked up her stairs and felt sharp pain but thought it was just pains of cut, later when she changed her underwear she noticed some blood on top so her dh checked she had opened the cut more to about 1 inch and it is deep she called the ob next morning bec she was having fever and it smelled funny (sorry) so she called her ob he gave her anti. said to come in to office in 2 days to check it out bec they wont stitch bec of it being old cut, now it is going to leave a huge scar, it is getting better but has this happened to any else.

[mum2beagain]

Yes the exact same thing happened to me, blood and fliud poured out of me after my scar opened up about an inch 8 days after my section, it soaked my pads, everything I was wearing and was running onto the floor, I was horrified! I went to the ER, they patched me up with steri strips, next day I saw my doc who gave me antibiotics. The wound did open up a little bit a few more times but I was told that was a good thing as all the fluid was draining away rather than sitting inside me and getting infected. I basically kept it clean and reaplied steri srtips as necessary. It was never painful and now 4 months on it as healed very nicely with a small scar just in the hairline.

[momof11]

They never used steri strips or nothing it is open wound they said they would not close it up, she uses 4x4 to soak up the oozing but other than that nothing so hers will be big scar.

[nalla]

Oh I'm sorry that happend to her! sounds like a lot of pain on top of the normal pain you have anyway!
This hasn't happend to me, but something similar happend to my son (22 months). He had surgery in March and had an incission on his belly. A few days later he climbed up onto the couch and tore out some of his stitches. It got all red and then started to get infected. I took him to the Dr. and they just put a butterfly stich over it to try to keep in close. It didn't work though. So they took out the stitches and eventually it healed up. But it looks bad. This is the 3rd time he has had this surgery and all the other times the scar was really small and white. Now it's a lot bigger and still kinda red. The Dr. said there isn't anything we can do for it now.
And when he has this surgery again they won't be able to cut over the scar this time, so they have to make a new incission.
I don't know, maybe she can put some of that scar cream on it or something. I can't remember the name right off hand. She should ask her Dr. first before putting anything on it.

Congrats on your new grandbaby!!

[chellybeans]

that is called wound dehiscence. i had it at another surgical site. not pregnancy related.

the treatment varied but from what i was told open air was the best for an infection under a cut. if they resuture it then the infection will be trapped within and worsen. at this point it needs to drain out, hence the open wound.

i used a sterile dressing and changed it all the time, antibiotics and just tried not to strain the wound at all.

this is what i looked up and found on treatment-
Drug Therapy -Antibiotic therapy

Medical Treatment -
When appropriate, frequent changes in wound dressing to prevent infection

When appropriate, wound exposure to air to accelerate healing and prevent infection, and allow growth of new tissue from below

Surgical Intervention -Surgical removal of contaminated, dead tissue
Resuturing
Placement of a temporary or permanent piece of mesh to bridge the gap in the wound

the scar will be bigger. mine is, but all is not lost, she can have a scar revision done at a later date to help minimize the scar to a small line.

also once the wound is completely healed my doctor had me rub an over the counter cortisone cream on the scar in a massaging fashion. that helps to break down the scar tissue. that keeps things from being hard and raised.

i hope her infection clears well

[mum2beagain]

I only had 6 staples in, removed after 4days and no stitches. I was told my wound opened up because of the fluid that had acumulated needed to drain away. I have to say It was feeling really tender and sore and after it opened and the fluid drained out it felt sooo much better. Sterisrips don' t really close the wound they just applied them either side of the opening on me for a bit of support to the wound. The best thing is to use sterile pads, change frequently and let what needs to come out do so. I think you can buy strips from the drugstore but there is no point sticking them over the section that has opened because the just get moist, smelly and fall off anyways. My scar is still red around the area where the wound opened but it is below my briefs anyway so no one will see it!

[peekawho]

It most likely opened up b/c of an infection or excessive fluid accumulation in the underlying tissues.    Even if the staples were placed one on top of the other, once they are out, if there is a mild infection brewing, the skin layers won't hold and the incision will open.

It is generally not repaired right then, as you know.  It is very important to keep the area clean with sterile dressings, and for her to take ALL of her antibiotics exactly as ordered.  If it becomes worse, draining thick, foul smelling discharge, opens more, or becomes more red and swollen, or if she begins running a fever or has significant new pain, she needs to be seen immediately.  

Once it has fully healed (give it a LONG time, 6 months or more) if the appearance still bothers her, a plastic surgeon might be able to do a good deal with it.  

[momof11]

Thanks for the help I knew why they would not close it up bec had this happen to me it was not as big as hers though, I just think they could have been more careful bec it did have a small opening in the hos be the staples were to far apart when we brought to their attention they said oh no problem ooppps they were wrong.

[ange800]

Your poor daughter going through that Im unsure of the staples what they do there I've had 2 c sections and both times the stiches desolve my second c section I had a little opening that would bleed a little I had this checked but all was good was going to use a butterfly stitch if it didnt improve I was told to put a sanitary pad on the area with high knickers and try to get air to it but I find im very healed on the outside but 6 months have gone on and im still a little tender you just dont realise how major a c section is hope your daughter is better soon its all worth it when you get a gorgeous bubs out of it.

[meljohnson]

I had a baby in December. I got an infection and they put me on antibiotics. 2 days later when they started to take out staples my wound open completely! They sent me home finally on Christmas Eve with a giant open wound and taught my husband how to pack and change the dressing. Home care came a few times a week. My son just turned 3 months old and it is still healing, weeping, needs to be changed daily, and hurts sometimes. I'm at my wits end. I'm 24 and can't exercise, I'm back to work cause my husband is laid off and I really have no choice and the other day it opened up on edges again where it had healed up. Still prob. 3 inches wide and 1/2 deep. I just want it to heal. I truly blame my Doctor's who masked my infection and fever with ibuprophen and even though both doctors and residents looked at my staples daily after the c-section and made comment's like " I don't like the color on that side" and "It is oozzing there" did nothing. :( I'm just very fed up.

  I'm so sorry for all you others who have had this happen, it's just awful and makes you feel gross and disgusting, not to mention the pain, agitation, and aggrivation.

  I started reading about a study that says you're 4 TIMES more likely to have a complication when they use staples. SO>>> why are they still using them.

-MelJohnson