I just don’t know, can you help?

[Liam101]

hello everyone,
I’m in a bit of a pickle regarding my sinus that I had operated on last Thursday (1 week ago).
My surgeon explained he had 3 options as to what he’d do but wouldn’t know which he’d do until he got in there. I wake up and he’s gone home as I was the last of the evening list so I don’t know what he’s done. How it went or how deep it was.
Being the NHS he is impossible to reach on the phone as well.

I’m stitched up, if a little roughly, but the nurse that discharged me said there was packing in place and not to change it, just the dressing.

Could I have packing under the stitched, healing skin?
Will there be a foreign body inside me for 2 weeks when the stitches are removed?

She also said I can’t shower with the stitches in. Is that true?

I tried asking my local Dr but they redirected me to the surgeon ( fat lot of good that is)
To top this I think it’s infected so i’ll be down the GP tomorrow.

Thanks

Liam

 

[Susan Stanford]

Hi Liam,
I am a mom of a son who suffered with pilonidal disease for 6 1/2 years and had 5 surgeries - 4 failed and the final is resulting in his healing. So, I can answer your questions from experience but not as a medical professional. They would not leave packing in you so whereever it is it will be removed and probably repacked. Here is what I found regarding showering with stitches: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2412.aspx?CategoryID=72. Good that you are going back in to have a potential infection checked today. Best of luck!!

 

[Kelmisty]

My packing was replaced daily at the gp surgery..... I would speak to your surgeons pa about it.

 

[Liam101]

Evening all,
I went to the Nurse and she explained it doesn’t have anything it and it isn’t infected but isn’t healing at the bottom because of the skin rubbing so I have some gauze to add under the plaster.

The smell has become stronger though and its the same as it smelt when it was a bleeding sinus, so I’m a little more concerned.

5 days till stitches come out...

 

[Luke Wade]

Did he tell you what the options were?

 

[Liam101]

Ok, so today I had the stitches out.

I’ve had a couple of days before though feeling like crap with a high temperature and the wound smelling like rotten meat, so I’m thinking infection.

The nurse didn’t seem interested in my temperature or the smell but more embarrassed and eager to get rid of me.

I’m writing this now after it leaked through my underwear and trousers onto the sofa so it’s covered again with a piece of gauze in place to avoid this.

Now I need to wait for another week until I see the surgeon again.

 

[Susan Stanford]

Liam,
It sounds like you have an infection. Can you call the surgeon or go to the emergency room?

 

[Susan Stanford]

Liam,
There is an expert surgeon for pilonidal disease named Asha Senapti in the UK. Are you in the UK? It looks like she is at "Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust". I wonder if you could see her?

 

[Liam101]

I have a nasty infection and it took only 8 hours in A&E to prove it.

A surgeon was rather rough checking it but concluded there is no more fluid in there so time to keep it clean and relax.
I have some antibiotics and hopefully should be better in a week.

 

[Luke Wade]

which surgery did you have?

 

[Kelmisty]

Oh no, I have had multiple infections. It takes ages for people to realise, once my wound was pouring like a tap and smelt goss.....they realised that one pretty quickly.

Hope you start to feel better soon

 

[Susan Stanford]

Glad that you were seen and have antibiotics. Hope you better soon!

 

[Liam101]

Thanks for your concern.
I had an Excision and primary closure.

Last night it leaked about an egg cup of orangey clear liquid but I’ve read it’s just healing fluid as there’s no redness or smell.

 

[Liam101]

Oh no, I have had multiple infections. It takes ages for people to realise, once my wound was pouring like a tap and smelt goss.....they realised that one pretty quickly.

Hope you start to feel better soon

What annoys me is that my wife works in a hospital and diagnosed it as infected but 2 nurses wouldn’t have any of it.

 

[Luke Wade]

Hey Liam if you don't have success healing with this surgery after a couple months, definitely look into getting a consultation for cleft lift. Fingers crossed it will heal though

 

[Liam101]

Ok so 7 maybe 8 weeks on...

I still have a small part of the wound that hasn’t healed and bleeds.
It still aches and stings when I sit on it for too long so driving for work is a bundle of laughs and I can’t stay on my feet for too long either.

The surgeon seemed happy with the progress and said he’d see me in a month. Hopefully my next entry will be my last.