Complications Weird but minor complication...

[gaijingal 62]

My incisions haven't been healing well, and at first I thought it was because I wasn't getting enough Protein. My dad's 2 week-old giant open knee incision was healed better than my 6 week old tiny lap scars. And the biggest one was actually getting wider! I applied silicone pads to try and head of the worst of the scarring, and I think it's lucky I did. Turns out, it's my internal sutures, which rather than breaking down, are working their way up and out of my belly. Gross!

Think the silicone softened the tissues enough to let the filaments finally emerge, which is better than sitting in there, wearing away the tissue like they were doing...especially in two spots, where the knots are coming through!

I tried to take a pic for interest's sake, and to send to Dr. Kelly, but my belly is so white, and my camera is so crap, it hasn't worked out....

I never worked a surgical floor, so I've never seen this happen before. Anyone else? The human body is weird and wonderful, but I'm very sad, because I'm finally going to have a lovely flat belly, with giant ropey scars....I guess I just wasn't meant to wear a bikini!

[Rox 200]

I checked your profile and you look pretty young. Just let those nasty stitches work themselves through, and then use Mederma. Those scars will fade in a couple of years and you'll barely be able to see them. Then, rock that bikini!!

[gaijingal 62]

Ah, you're sweet, but remember how I said my camera was crap??

Not that young. But, I'm pretty non-conformist, so if I want to wear a bikini when I'm old, and scare all the young men, I totally will!

[gaijingal 62]

Ooh, that's a downside to weightloss...fat pushes the wrinkles out! Maybe my age will start to catch up with me!

[Oak Park Lorena 162]

I haven't been sleeved yet, but had minimally invasive total knee replacement a few years ago. The internal sutures that were supposed to just dissolve didn't and instead worked their way up and out through my skin. Yeah, it was gross! Surgeon said some people's bodies just don't like the material. The scarring is a little worse in the area where the stitches came through, but not much.

[gaijingal 62]

I haven't been sleeved yet, but had minimally invasive total knee replacement a few years ago. The internal sutures that were supposed to just dissolve didn't and instead worked their way up and out through my skin. Yeah, it was gross! Surgeon said some people's bodies just don't like the material. The scarring is a little worse in the area where the stitches came through, but not much.

Thanks for answering! It sounds like your surgeon didn't recommend you take any action. I have several wound care ideas, but I don't want to make it worse!

I've honestly never seen stitches come through like that, and I thought I'd seen every weird post-op complication ever (including a woman 3 WEEKS post-boob job, whose boob spontaneously started SQUIRTING BLOOD). I didn't even think about there being internal stitches, to be honest. The top inscisions were done with dermabond, so I had a moment of total confusing when I pulled the suture out, thinking my body had somehow produced it by itself.

For weeks, I just thought they were bizarrely hard scabs, and they were catching on my clothes, and risking pulling the incision open. I was able to be a good patient, and just leave them alone, in the hopes that the skin gods would bless me with faint scars. Now I know what they are, though, it's like a sore tooth or a pimple on your nose...I JUST WANT TO PICK AT THEM SO BAD. But they are definitely not ready to come out, so I've dressed them again with silicone pads, just to keep me out of them, and hopefully soften them up again.

But yes, if something is likely to be rejected by a body, my body will reject it. Sometimes I think I'm allergic to myself. I think part of the problem is also my low bmi...less tissue to work on the suture material. That's why I wanted to send Dr. K a pic...to convince him to trim his knots closer next time, so there's less to come out!

[DeniseM 238]

I am going through the same thing right now with one of my incisions. Six and a half weeks out, and one of them is still not healed. The other four healed beautifully. I was also told that there was an underlying suture which was the cause. I have to go in to my surgeon's office every 2-3 days now for them to change the dressing and re-pack the wound. It's small, about the size of the head of an eraser, but it is going to leave a nasty scar. Fortunately, my surgeon told me that once it is completely healed, she can do a small procedure to revise the scar and it will look like all the other ones when it heals. So that's good news. But in the meantime, I have a hole in my stomach and a big stupid bandage that you can see through my clothes. Not cool. BUT, it is the only complication I have had, so I consider myself so lucky- it could be so much worse.

[Oak Park Lorena 162]

When the stitches started coming out, I thought I had some horrible infection, which with knee replacement is the most dreaded complication. My ortho just took some tweezers and pulled the offending stitches right on through and out. He did it so quickly, I didn't have time to object or freak out! Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. As far a the scars go, I've got so many already, they'll just blend right in!

[gaijingal 62]

When the stitches started coming out, I thought I had some horrible infection, which with knee replacement is the most dreaded complication. My ortho just took some tweezers and pulled the offending stitches right on through and out. He did it so quickly, I didn't have time to object or freak out! Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. As far a the scars go, I've got so many already, they'll just blend right in!

Ha! I know from experience that such things need to be done quickly, and it's not as easy to do it to yourself as it is to someone else. The trick is, not knowing it's coming, so perhaps I won't try the yank 'em out method.

As annoyed as I am with the wound, it doesn't need to be packed, so I guess I'll stop complaining, and let them finish their trip out!

[Nicolanz 1,484]

3 of my incisions opened aftdr 2 weeks post op. 2 the size of erasers and one the size of a quarter! I kept them covered at work because I'm a hairstylist and uncovered at home. I made sure to keep them clean and watched very closely for infection. They healed on their own in about 8 weeks. I'm 8 months out now and the scars are wide but fading a lot.

[Jesser 295]

3 of my incisions opened aftdr 2 weeks post op. 2 the size of erasers and one the size of a quarter! I kept them covered at work because I'm a hairstylist and uncovered at home. I made sure to keep them clean and watched very closely for infection. They healed on their own in about 8 weeks. I'm 8 months out now and the scars are wide but fading a lot.

I am also a hairstylist and I have been wondering since we are on our feet all day, when were you able to return to work after your surgery? Did you feel weak at all?

[Nicolanz 1,484]

I am also a hairstylist and I have been wondering since we are on our feet all day' date=' when were you able to return to work after your surgery? Did you feel weak at all?[/quote']

I took 3 weeks off. It was perfect.