I am 4 weeks post-op from an arm lift, I have a large separation of the wound that is bloody with pus like discharge that burn very bad. I have been doing wound care at home with wound flush spray, silver nitrate and calcium alginate strips, however the tape is tearing my skin down and the wound has winden. Losing hope for healing please help.
Answer: Large Wound after Arm Lift Sorry to you are having a tough time of it after your arm lift. Unfortunately, some wound separation or healing issues following an arm lift is not uncommon. While a separation your size is not particularly common, it certainly does happen. Your surgeon, through an in-person exam, would be able to best determine whether your wound is infected, but it is not uncommon for a large open wound to bleed easily or have a mucousy exudate once it begins to "granulate" as yours appears to be doing. Once you develop a wound, your body will begin creating a pink tissue called "granulation" that will fill the cavity. This tissue is very rich in tiny blood vessels that will result in bleeding when touched. There are bacteria that reside on the surface, and this may create a mucousy film, but does not mean there is an infection or that it is pus.Amazingly, the body will actually contract a large wound much more significantly than one would expect, and the wound will steadily decrease in size. However, this is a slow process and requires patience. A skin graft can be placed on a wound that has a nice granulation bed, resulting in fairly prompt healing. However, a new wound is created that must heal where the skin graft is taken, and the cosmetic results of a skin graft may not be optimal and/or take a long time to improve. A machine called a "VAC," in which a sponge and plastic draping is placed in the wound, hooked to a suction pump within a fanny pack, and changed every three days can also accelerate healing, but it is expensive and often requires home health visits to get started.Wrapping with an Ace wrap is one strategy to eliminate taping. Also, putting fluffed gauze loosely on the wound and holding the bulk into place with an UnderArmor-like shirt is another one.Best of luck, and I hope you heal promptly so that you can enjoy your arm lift results! Dr. Ghafoori
Helpful 2 people found this helpful
Answer: Large Wound after Arm Lift Sorry to you are having a tough time of it after your arm lift. Unfortunately, some wound separation or healing issues following an arm lift is not uncommon. While a separation your size is not particularly common, it certainly does happen. Your surgeon, through an in-person exam, would be able to best determine whether your wound is infected, but it is not uncommon for a large open wound to bleed easily or have a mucousy exudate once it begins to "granulate" as yours appears to be doing. Once you develop a wound, your body will begin creating a pink tissue called "granulation" that will fill the cavity. This tissue is very rich in tiny blood vessels that will result in bleeding when touched. There are bacteria that reside on the surface, and this may create a mucousy film, but does not mean there is an infection or that it is pus.Amazingly, the body will actually contract a large wound much more significantly than one would expect, and the wound will steadily decrease in size. However, this is a slow process and requires patience. A skin graft can be placed on a wound that has a nice granulation bed, resulting in fairly prompt healing. However, a new wound is created that must heal where the skin graft is taken, and the cosmetic results of a skin graft may not be optimal and/or take a long time to improve. A machine called a "VAC," in which a sponge and plastic draping is placed in the wound, hooked to a suction pump within a fanny pack, and changed every three days can also accelerate healing, but it is expensive and often requires home health visits to get started.Wrapping with an Ace wrap is one strategy to eliminate taping. Also, putting fluffed gauze loosely on the wound and holding the bulk into place with an UnderArmor-like shirt is another one.Best of luck, and I hope you heal promptly so that you can enjoy your arm lift results! Dr. Ghafoori
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November 16, 2017
Answer: Separation Sorry to here about your complication. This should heal with dressings but it is in a tricky area to dress and this can take months. It is rare to have to consider additional surgery (e.g. skin grafting) and once healed it is important that a contracture does not form. Hang in there and keep in touch with your PS.
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November 16, 2017
Answer: Separation Sorry to here about your complication. This should heal with dressings but it is in a tricky area to dress and this can take months. It is rare to have to consider additional surgery (e.g. skin grafting) and once healed it is important that a contracture does not form. Hang in there and keep in touch with your PS.
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