Problems with Incision Draining and Not Closing

[Hanginonthebeach]

I underwent surgery for a basket ball sized cyst on my ovary on October 11th.  Had the ovary and cyst removed.  I have the incision from above my belly button and straight down.  10 days after surgery, I had a few staples removed due to a very small infection and they opened a small portion of the incision to drain a disolved blood clot.  I then had the rest of the staples removed on day 15 with no draining, but a week after having staples removed completely and steri strips put on, I had some drainage at night.  I have had my doctor look at it again and she said to keep it covered and not worry about it and check back in a month.  I am now 4 weeks after that and 7 weeks after surgery and a small part of the incision is still not closed and continues to drain (a small amount - couple drops a day), but still enough to keep it open and slightly stinging.  I am wondering if anyone else has had this happen and how long did it continue to "weep".  It is a small amount, but the fact that it is still open is driving me crazy.  It seems to dry up during the day and night, but as soon as I shower and get water on it, it weeps again. The rest of the incision is closed, but I can still feel this little part.

Any ideas or tricks to get it to close?

Thanks for any help.  =)

[Hanginonthebeach]

Well I did call the nurse this morning (just to check in about the draining) and she did not seem worried at all.  Since it is not infected and there are no changes it could just continue to drain for a while longer.  She is checking with the doctor just to make sure, but for now, I think I am going to have to wait it out.  

Guess I'll continue to keep it dry and covered.  =)

I'm thinking there are no tricks to getting it to stop.  I just have to wait and be patient. =)

[Kolbegirl]

I had a 28 cm cyst (also basketball in size) removed on August 29th. I developed a seroma on September 5th, right after my staples came out. I JUST FINISHED having to get it packed with gauze after 13 weeks. I freaked out, but after reading much about it on this and other sites, I realized that it is quite common and that I should not be worried. In fact, I went to the dr. this past Monday and the hole was so small that she could not even get the Q-tip inside, so she said to put a bandaid over it and let it heal in and that it would not absess because it was so close to closing in on its own. So that is what I did. By Wednesday of this week, there was no drainage and the hole was the size of the eye of a needle. I was amazed on how fast it healed in with no gauze packing. Have faith, (and patience) and just remember that these kind of things do take time to heal!!

[Hanginonthebeach]

Thank goodness I am not the only one with this.  The doctor said to just check with her in about a month and that month is coming up next week. (2 months after surgery) I was starting to get really worried even though it is such a small hole (like 1/2 a pencil eraser) that it was NEVER going to close.  Wow.  What a pain. =)

Thanks for the tip about not putting anything on it though.  I was just about to get desperate enough to start trying different things.  I was starting to not believe the whole healing from the inside out thing. =)

Thanks for your help!

[sdp4314]

I totally understand what you are going through.  I too had a problem after surgery and developed a seroma with an infection and the incision was reopened and packed with sterile dressings.  This went on for about 2months.  My doctor ster-stripped me, however, it wouldn't hold, so I kept popping open.  Anyway, eventually my wound healed from the inside out and weeped up until it finally closed, which was in mid September and my surgery was July 12th.  Just dry it carefully with fresh gauze if you have it and it will close up. Do not put any peroxide, ointments or anything on it either.  I know it's frustrating....and messes up your clothes too!  Ugh!

Nice to know you weren't the only one, huh?