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Avatar universal

c-section wound won't heal - help!

I had my second child be c-section 4 months ago. The cut a new scar as they said the old scar from my first child was too small to open again. my new scar is quite large and goes right across my lower stomach almost over to my left hip bone. the side nearest my hip bone has refused to heal properly since i had the c-section done. as soon as my epi started to wear off i could feel pain which I expected.. but the pain on that particular side was really really bad. I had a large blood clot which they had to do a lot of pushing on my stomach to remove and lost a bit of blood then. i was fine but my stomach sort of folded down over my wound forming a crease and the scar in inside. my wound healed all along except the left hand corner and has been sore, bloody and weepy since i had my daughter 4 months ago. at first they did a swap and put me on antibotics that didn't work, then i had by uti for a long time and more antibotics, my gp put a small stitch in the wound to heal it but that didn't work (btw they used the sticky internal strips not staples or stitches when they closed the section scar). I've been on 5 courses of antibotics between the uti and the scar. the last lot of antibotics did dry it up a bit and even though it was still bleeding (I would see blood on my underwear at the top.. bright red) it wasn't weeping much and the smell had almost gone. another gp i saw said that my uti that wouldn't go away wasn't showing up as a uti but was probably a bladder infection or irritation caused by the surgery and gave me antibotics for that which have worked on the uti finally! (I also cut out caffine completely from my diet and this seemd to help too). I have just finished that last course of antibotics for the bladder irritation thing.. but notice that this week my wound is weeping again quite badly. If i move at all it seems to open the wound up as it's in the crease in my tummy. it just refuses to heal! today i did a lot of housework and the smell is horrible. it's also very itchy and wet. when ever the drs at the hospital or my gp look at it they say it looks quite clean and are not worried. how much longer do you think i should wait for it to heal. it's been 4 months now and i want to start exercising properly to lose some weight. my husband and i still haven't had any sex yet (for nearly a year! as I had spd pevlic problems during pregnancy so could hardly move then).. it's getting me quite depressed as i feel i smell all the time and hate the smell!! please help!!
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Avatar universal
Hi I was just wondering how your wound was doing if you have had any luck with it healing? I had a c-section 5 months ago and have also had nothing but problems with it!! Its so depressing and frustrating my dr says nothing besides "it looks great keeping cleaning it and it will be healed in 2 weeks" I have heard that a few to many times! Ive taken antibiotics twice and gone to the er probably 4 maybe 5 times. The last time was about a week ago and they just said it was odd that it hadnt healded yet but that it was just a hole and hopefully one day it heals. :( ONE DAY seriously? It hurts it bleeds and seems to be getting worse not any better! I will say Im glad to find out Im not the only person this happens to though I was really scared
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Avatar universal
i know how u feel hun im in the same boat i had my son goin on 4 months ago now and on my left side there is still a hole that will not heal  the rest of it has except that left side hole its extremely frustratin i have a home health nurse come out every single day she packs the hole with iodiform packing but it still wont work and she cant even figure out why it wont heal up either  all it keeps doin is going deeper hopefully you will get to healin soon cause i know how you feel
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Avatar universal
I know how u feel..had a c sec.. Done from my belly button to my pelvic, got infected right after even have antibiotic thru iv and oral. .days lateqg the dr removed the staples and my wound was open about 4in deep and about 6in long. .had to b packed 2x a day. .i was so depressed to c this whole in my stomach. .3m later im doing great. .i reccomend showering 2x.  a day if u can air out the wound 4 at least 30 min. .rest lying flat so the wound has time to from bk to normal. .eat enough protein and alot of fruit and veggies. .promote healing. .alot of water. .above all 4 me prayer. .
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Avatar universal
Im sorry to hear youre gng through all that. I had a s cection 3 months ago and luckly by my 6 weeks post partum checkup my incision was fully closed! Try airing it out, as soon as ur outa the shower pat dry it turn on a fan and stand infront if it...i would hold my tummy up since im chubby; dnt let it get any moist & put a cotton pad right in ur insicion to prevent it from getting moist :) hope it helps!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Im sorry to hear youre gng through all that. I had a s cection 3 months ago and luckly by my 6 weeks post partum checkup my incision was fully closed! Try airing it out, as soon as ur outa the shower pat dry it turn on a fan and stand infront if it...i would hold my tummy up since im chubby; dnt let it get any moist & put a cotton pad right in ur insicion to prevent it from getting moist :) hope it helps!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had my daughter in 2003! i was 18 years old and wanted to say(ill try and make it quick;))..i had a c-section,then realised i was leaking alot of blood in the cathater..down below swelled up and i couldnt walk(the nurses thought i was attention seeking) but i knew something was wrong:( i had a consultant tell me i had a Haematoma-blood clot in my abdomin! My Haemaglobin was 5.2 so had to have 4 pints of blood then the clot removed then afterwards the wound wouldnt heal-i had antibiotics ,the doctors let me go home with a very weepy wound and after getting home i was made to go back to hospital...The wound was infected and i had to stay in hospital for 2 weeks then i was allowed home! Only the wound still wouldnt heal so i had district nurses packing it and cleaning it and changing it...but it just wouldnt heal:( anyway in the end they packed it with DRIED SEAWEED..this worked it healed it up but over healed so i had a big flap of fleshy skin hanging over...i had to have it cut off-which was VERY painfull...but now...8 years later ive found out im pregnant...i dont think i can carry on with the pregnancy because i am petrified it'll all happen again! i was so scared id die and love my daughter sooo much! i just dont think i can do it again! :'( im so upset but just feel i cant do it! ....I hope your wound is ok now;) Tessxx
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello everybody,

Its been 4 months since i had my 1st baby in c-section and upto now my wound does not heal completely. it looks like small craters along the line where the stiches were made.

My ob-gyne said that my wound should have healed by this time. But unfortunately mine is not.=( she said that this case is very rare in people having c-section until i read about your post and comments.

We have tried different of ointments already together with cleaning it using hydrogen peroxide and betadine.. it closes for a day or two then it seems to tear-off again and its wet and often times it has fluid like pus coming out of it!!! My OB-gyne instructed me to squeez it out before cleaning... she said she will not be able to stitch it up again because the wound is looking fresh and this may cause further infection.

I'm so frustrated about my condition because like tipgal and others I cannot go back to my usual routine.=( and because its too long now... and nothing better happens... i already feel lazy to go back to my doctor, because nothing helps and i feel frightened whenever she looks at my wound and ask why its not healing yet.

If anyone really have something to share that would really help to heal it completely.. thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my daughter will be three this year and I'm having the same problem a tiny part of my incision opened up. i have the skin fold over my incision that does not seem to help. It started when my daughter was 7months, i went for surgery and now almost two year later it's still not healed all the way idk what to do
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm am embarrassed to admit that my incision from my last c-sec 20+ years ago weeps, bleeds, and smells periodically. I really noticed it was a chronic problem for the first time last year. I realize from these comments that there is a chronic infection going on but I have had not luck getting this treated on my own. All attempts were for not. Now I have no insurance to cover any new surgeries probably necessary to finally heal or help like Tipgal had.  
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166487 tn?1351905651
I had a tubal reversal done last year in May and they made a incision like a c-section it took 3 moths to heal they packed the wound with the tape looking strips. . And was told to use 1 part peroxide and 2 parts saline eye solution basically sterile water . And use it twice a day keep a bandage on to keep area clean. And it finally healed. But i know how you feel i was told i was allergic to the sutures they used there made of cat cut. and Im allergic to cats . I was like what who knew in order for my incision  to heal the sutures they used had to come out. And they did on there own my body pushed the sutures to the top of the skin and my  Dr was like I have never seen this before. So once the Dr got the sutures out it heeled right and no more problems
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Avatar universal
I had the same problem with my first c-section, it lasted 3 months I went back and forth to different Doctors. Finally my family Dr. tried Nystatin powder, she said it wont heal b/c there is a yeast infection there from the moisture. I also have a skin fold over my incision area. Also I would lay flat on my back and make sure the skin was off the incision area while letting the fan blow on me multiple times a day. I would shower twice a day with dial soap and use hydrogen peroxide 3 times a day. It healed in a week or two. With my second c-section the Dr. used staples which helped a ton with the healing process.
Helpful - 0
707108 tn?1231391933
I have exactly the same problem it's been a year now and i still have the smell...it heals then it just gets wet again as my stomache isalso folded over the wound and all the time it gets wet.

i also do not have any idea how to deal with this it's seriously so frustrating i mean my son is a year old already and i still have this problem.

these medications don't really help we need something natural.

when i gave birth they also did not stich the wound close they used some type of glue to close the wound although i was stiched on the inside and i was told to always keep the wound dry,  but no matter what i try it will never heal.













































Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
well quick update...

I had more surgery they opened up the old scar and cleaned and restitched in.. this time it healed. it still took a while after but it was much neater and they took a chunk of skin and flesh away which seemed to help. air seemed to help as well.. i would lie on my bed at night making sure it got heaps of air and this helped so i can finally say it healed.

i also just had my gallbladder out.. lots of cuts to the stomach etc.. but they are all doing fine. oddly my c-section scar started to weap a little again and I thought 'oh no!' but it was a tiny bit and i think it was just from all the pushing and shoving they did when taking my gallbladder out.

so i am happy to report both surgeries went well and I'm finally on the mend.

if you are suffering from this though... try the honey, try airing it out.. but honestly if it won't heal go back and get them to open it up and sort it out.. i'm so glad i had such a good team here where i now live (they were amazed i had been left with this problem so long where i used to live).. if i can help any body let me know.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,

I, too have a wound that won't heal.  I've had antibiotics which haven't helped.  So, I decided to research "wound won't heal" by googling it.  There were some products that sounded promising, one of which I've attached the link.  There was another product called Terrasil that sounded good.  I'm going to try these as my doctors don't seem to know how to help me.  All they tell me to do is cover it with gauze.  Good luck to you.

http://www.progressivedoctors.com/wound-care.html

Helpful - 0
231441 tn?1333892766
Hi,

Probably worth it to try the manuka honey again, with high dose oral vitamin c and vitamin b (these both help healing and skin).

Your doctor should do a culture to see whats causing this and the best  and targeted treatment.

There are wound care specialists.  You need to be referred to one.

Let us know how you go.  What a horrid situation to be in.

Don't give up.

Sally
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
hi there.. me again.. i haven't been back on this page for a while as you can see.. there was some development.. i moved countries (went back home to Australia) and doctors did surgery. they opened the whole thing up again, took a huge chunk of skin and flesh away, cleaned it and then stitched me up again.. my scar was lovely and clean looked amazing.. smell was gone.. it's been about 5 weeks since my surgery.. i had another appointment thursday with the gyne.. was excited as thought in my mind 'oh i can tell them it's all healed!'.. but as expected.. last week it started to weep again in other corner.. and the smell was back.. girls to say i was depressed is a massive understatement i'm soooooo upset about it.. even the surgeon was amazed it's not healing.. he gave me more antibotics and cleaning routine but i expect it will heal for a few weeks (like it always does on the antiobotics and even when i used the honey) but as usual it comes back.. i truely believe it will NEVER heal.. i need my gallbladder removed in a couple of months but now they say that is on hold, sex life has been on hold (only just back on again until it started weeping again) and we are supposed to be trying for another baby but now all that on hold again.. so upset.. i'm 36 so don't have much longer to try for a third baby.. starting to wonder if my body will ever get back to normal.. i seem to be a medical mystery.. if ANYBODY can help, advise, or even point me in the direction of any sort of researcher or specialist online I can talk to or even refer my surgeon to i'd really appreciate it as i'm at my wits end.
Helpful - 0
318181 tn?1336443496
I believe you apply it to the incision. I'm not sure where to buy it, though. Did you try to google it?

Hopefully it will work for you too!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had the same problem.  My c-section incision doesn't want to heal in one spot.  It has been over 5 months now.  Where do I find the malunka honey and how do you use it?  Do you ingest it or put it on the incision?

I am glad it is working for you.  Maybe it will help me.
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Avatar universal
Where do you get the honey. I have an incision from breast cancer surgery that will not heal. It sounds a lot like your c-section incision, the top skin is over lapping and the incision can not breath.  It has been over 4 weeks. My Dr. says to just give it time, but it is getting bigger not smaller.  thanks
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the update, I'll have to remember this in case my incision doesn't heal well. My other 2 c-sections went well, but you never know what to expect.
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318181 tn?1336443496
OMG! I just saw your post and was going to get on here and tell you that I had seen this study on c sections and honey!!! They said it is not very well recognized in western medicine, but has had a huge success rate in...I think it was India. And wouldn't you know it...your doctor actually told you to use malanuka honey!!! And it's working!!! That's great!

:-)
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296076 tn?1371334474
great
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Avatar universal
good news.. i'm using malanuka honey as instructed by the hospital and it's working!! hurray!!
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Avatar universal
no i'm not. i was cleaning it for a few months but it made no difference. i've been trying to keep it clean though. just saw my dr today. he referred me back to the surgen.. hope i get some breakthrough soon. smell is horrible!
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