Had my gallbladder out by keyhole surgery. Not pleasant in pain in recovery room. Had to have a lot of pain drugs kept in overnight. Continual blood pressure taken overnight. I am always high but they were getting me to breath slowly at the end every time. Let me go by 11.30am after drip, I can't remember what it was for. External needle collapsed vein for drip on left hand so Dr came back and put it in right. Concerned now still v painful wounds mainly tummy button one and right hand side. Want to know when to take of plastic plasters to reveal stitches. I know they should be kept dry after showering. Scared to remove them knowing wounds still to heal. What do I do?
I am already into 14 days after surgery.
Hi Jai,my other half had his removed the same way last year.The hospital sent him home with some extra dressings to change every 4 days,once the edges of the cut look healed you can leave them off(if you need dressings get them from the doctors, nurse will even dress it if you cant).The stitches do take awhile to wriggle out completely.But what you should do is cut the edge with scissors and when abit more wriggles out cut that until you feel comfortable to pull it out gently with some tweezers.
They stitched 2 cuts and glued the other 2,the one on your side is the one that niggled baz too,belly button was fine.Hope this helps and you wont be to sore for much longer.
Since you are worried, in a lot of pain and unsure what to do about the stitches, I would go back to your doctor for advice and ask for a nurse to deal with the stitches and dressings. I would not be confident enough to handle this myself. Always defer to the experts.
i am in a similar condition day 8 since operation and still in pain .
Sorry to say but I have to agree with Pippa again, over bazandtina.
day 10 since operation and because of the trauma i went through and pain i have still i have not as yet took dressings off .
Hello jai53... I had the same surgery on 1/29/19. I pretty well considering how sick I was 6 years prior and up til surgery. I guess I lucky to have mine outpatient. They started around noon and I was home by 5:00pm. However, like you my pain levels were high and pain meds didnt seem to affect much. I had similar pain to my previous gallbladder attacks the first few NIGHTS after surgery. Then my top two incisions really hurt off/on for a couple of weeks. The tape on mine started rolling up and itching me something crazy so I pulled them off about 5-6 days post-surgery. I told my surgeon about everything and he was still satisfied that I was healing normally.
To quote him "everyone heals in various ways and as long as there is no fever or oozing, we should be OK." Also, I did not follow up with him until 3 weeks later and he said by that point, post surgical complications would have passed. I hope you feel better as each day passes. Message me back if any other concerns. SUSANNE, 53 Nashville, TN
hi there , day ten now since my operation and still haven't as yet plucked the courage to take my dressing's off because to scared to see what the wound ( scars ) look like , and hoping because leaving the same dressings on since operation the holes will heal fine . can anyone agree or what if any concerns !
It sounds like you have the right idea. The longer you can tolerate them, probably the better!
many thanks , i so really do hope so .
the reason why i am to worried to see how its healed . picture below was the drainage tube what i woke up too after operation :
Ask your doctor or nurse to take the dressings off for you. Having someone with you is better since you are worried about how the wound will look.
i think you maybe right , but my confidence with anyone since my op is very low :(
Since your confidence is low, that is why getting your doctor or nurse to remove the dressings will help you. Having an expert with you will build your confidence and will give you the reassurance you need about your wound. Speak to your doctor or nurse about your worries about how your wound will look. Thinking about it on your own will mean you be alone with your worries which will give you more anxiety. Try to think positively and picture a scenario of your wound being perfectly healed.
When I lack confidence, I like to have someone with me while I am doing the task I am struggling with. This builds my confidence and gradually I can do more of the task on my own. Having an expert with you, always helps.
Thank you. Have an appointment with nurse next Monday. The belly button I have taken a peak at because so sore. Think deeper stitches hence tighter there more painful. Certainly after 2 weeks not dissolved yet. Not given enough info on hospital release.
That is the trouble jai53,they want you out the door asap baz was sent home 2 hrs after his op,with dressings but not a clue what to do,I called the ward and asked what they were all about,he was projectile vomitting at the time,they said it was the body in shock.At the end of the day we were just happy it had been removed as he had been very ill the 15 months before,even with being admitted with sepsis (bilirubin was in the 300s).Im not a squemish person as had 2 lapro ops myself.
So the info I gave you was what I had called and asked about,but the dissolveable stitches do take awhile to work out completely,I would say about 5 weeks to be totally gone as they dissolve inside the body only and not the bit thats on the outside.
Once his wounds had closed he didnt wear the dressings but as the days went on the stitches worked their way out and where snagging on his t shirt ,so was told to trim the stitch back to skin surface or pull them out gently with tweezers.
But it depends if you have anyone who doesnt mind do that for you.
Hope you feel better soon,and by the way baz scars have cleared up nicely.He also had a pain in his back for about 6 months after his op.
many thanks for the support , yet another day of pain and feeling low , i have been thinking about my wounds and the removal of my dressings , can i possible ask all , was you given a diet plan or follow up appointment ? as i was given nothing except a handful of tablets in which i told the nurse that i cant swallow whole tablets to be told i need to start to learn , i'm 49 and never have done ever , im feeling still very low with the whole experience regards the level of care got or lack of since this op :(
I didn't have gallbladder surgery; I have IBS. I didn't need a follow appointment for this or a diet plan. However, what I can say is you should have been given strategies for swallowing tablets or a tablet you can swallow. To be told that you will have to learn is not acceptable or helpful. I would flag this with your doctor at your next appointment and express your concerns about the poor care you have received. No one should be asked to remove their own dressings; that is a nurse's job and since they are too lazy to do it, you should ask to see someone else. Explain that your poor treatment is making you feel depressed. Try to think of your wound and removal of dressings in a positive way. However, try not to focus on this all the time. If you feel yourself concentrating on it negatively, try imagining your wound totally healed. Alternatively, try distracting yourself with things you enjoy and the less you think about it will help your pain and low mood and you will start to feel better.
If I can't swallow tablets, I try lots of water or soak the tablet for a few minutes in the water to soften it. This stops my throat pushing the tablet back up.
Thank you for this. I am seeing a nurse at my own surgery on Monday to look at the stitches. I was concerned two of them quite sore especially tummy one. It felt like it was tight and had a quick peek after last shower as stitches looked tight. My cousin told me to see someone in case they needed clipping. Apparently sometimes the knot causes problems.