Scary tummy tuck open wound 50 days post op. Advice as my doctor is in another country? (photos)

Question

had tummy tuck 50 days ago .i finished my antibiotic 15 days ago .i do dressing .using Dermacyn .and gel to moist . Also i have this injured from my back lipo .my doctor is visitor from usa .i am in Dubai

Anthony Barabas, MBBS, FRCS (Plast) · Answer

Thanks for your question. You don't appear to have redness of the skin spreading around the wounds which would indicate cellulitis (spreading infection of this skin). However if this happened you would need to go onto antibiotics if you are not already on them. The base of the wounds appear yellow-y and "sloughy". This can be treated with de-sloughing dressings, and should be changed 2-3x a week, or more frequently if there is a high discharge from the wound. However it will probably heal things in quicker if you have a debridement of the slough and then a negative pressure dressing (such as VAC) applied, which will also have the advantage of drawing the wound edges together. Once everything has healed in by itself you could then undergo a scar revision. If you are a smoker then you would be best advised to stop.

Christopher J. Inglefield, MBBS, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

Hi there.  Very sorry to hear that you are having a difficult recovery following your Tummy tuck.  Hope that you are a NON-SMOKER!   Smoking and passive smoking will seriously affect your healing.  You need to have an experienced nurse doing dressings for you once or twice a week to clean the wounds and reduce risk of infection.  I recommend cleaning the wounds with 50% hydrogen peroxide and then gently packing with Kaltostat/ Kaltosorb dressings.  Once these have healed - which can take 4 to 6 weeks, it would be best to leave the scars to heal for 6 months before considering any revision surgery.  Good luck.

Julio Clavijo-Alvarez, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

I am sorry that you are having issues about your procedure and thanks for sharing your question. I can appreciate your concern.
Your photos seem to show some tissue that may benefit from further surgical debridement. After this long, your cosmetic surgery has transform into a wound care case. I do think that ointments have an application on wound care. In your case, I would consider discussing with a board certified plastic surgeon a more proactive approach. Some options include surgical debridement, and VAC dressing changes. Be aware that you might have scars that may need revision in the future. Please focus on healing and then you can work on the looks of your current surgery. Also consider increasing your protein intake to 60gr a day, increase your vitamin C intake and Zinc, to favor wound healing.  
Wishing you the best in your journey
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: It is difficult to say what is exactly happening with your case without a physical examination, testing or having done your surgery. It is imperative that you have a thorough examination by a board-certified surgeon. Only then, you may weight better the options to fix your current concerns.

Scary tummy tuck open wound 50 days post op. Advice as my doctor is in another country? (photos)

Answers (3)

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