Surgery complications

[twinkle283]

Had surgery 3 months ago and 6 weeks later found out the sticthes had been infected from the inside and had came lose exposing the intestines. Had another surgery to flush intestines and resticth the surgery.
Am not getting any better but the doctors I've seen say there is nothing wrong. Have pain to the point or vomiting and am getting weaker. Please help.

[KatEyes]

Has the doctor been ordering any blood tests to look for signs of infection that may not be apparent on the outside?

I had this happen to me many years ago. Took a long time of packing the wound to let it heal from the inside out. Surgery hurts, and it hard to know how much pain is beyond what should be expected. At this point though, seems you should be seeing marked improvement. Follow your instincts. If you feel something is wrong, keep going back to the surgeon however many times it takes. An infection can get out of hand quickly.

A friend who had trouble with an incision kept complaining of pain and it turned out it was not an infection but a pocket of blood clots that had to be cleaned out.

Just keep talking to you doctor. They can't know how bad you feel unless you communicate it - even after they say you're ok. If necessary, get a second opinion.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Infection of the stitch line is a common complication of any surgery. Unfortunately you had to get your wound restitched.But if you take adequate precaution then there will be no further infection.

First of all regular change of the dressings preferably from a healthcare provider is necessary. The aim is to keep the dressing dry and clean. Doctor may prescribe topical antibiotics for the wound after culture sensitivity of the wound discharge or wound swabs. You will also need to take an oral course of antibiotics to combat the infection and prevent it from reoccurring.

Pls take a nutritious diet and avoid any physical activity that causes an exertion on your stitch line.However, you need to take regular walks to prevent DVT.Also maintain a good level of personal and environmental hygiene.

In case you feel that a discharge is coming from the stitch line or your dressing is getting soiled, then pls contact the operating surgeon as fast as possible.

You can take some OTC pain killers and antiemetics for the pain and vomitings respectively. Take a nutritious and less fatty diet if possible.

Take care and pls do keep us posted on how you are doing.