Wet to dry q3h. How long will I have to do the wet to dry dressings? It hurts getting them off and changing them (Photo)

Question

I know it's going to take several months and I'm patient but I seriously Cant tolerate this kind of pain. I hope I can put Sorbsan on next week but the necrotic tissue will have to be gone by then first. I see my PS frequently for F/U

Thomas P. Sterry, MD · Answer

I am so sorry that this happened to you.  The first thing I want you to know is that it is a VERY SALVAGEABLE situation and you can still get beautiful breasts.  I'm sure your doctor wants to get you through the episode.The wet to dry dressing changes (as previously stated here by other doctors) help to clean the wound steadily.  It looks like you may need a little debridement (surgical clean up) as well, but eventually your doctor should be able to fix you up nicely.Good Luck!

Sheila S. Nazarian, MD · Answer

I am so sorry that you are experiencing this. Continue to stay in regular contact with your plastic surgeon and follow his or her wound care advice to the letter. This will heal in time. Best, Dr. Nazarian

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS · Answer

I am sorry you are experiencing this rare (fortunately) complication, and can tell you that as the open wounds heal and granulation tissue seals over exposed raw nerve endings, the discomfort will reduce significantly. If you moisten the gauze dressings before you pull them off, it hurts less, but all the garbage (dead tissue) that would have come off with the adherent dry dressing will be left behind, prolonging the process.It appears as if your surgeon is using silver nitrate on your tissues. You might want to ask if you could use a soft bristle toothbrush (honest) in the shower to help debride the dead tissues. Once the dead stuff is gone and cannot harbor bacteria, healing will progress much more rapidly. Remember bleeding tissue is alive tissue, so a little bleeding when you scrub your tissues is not a bad thing. Scrubbing tissues would not be a good thing if you have implants in place, but you are listed under breast lift, so I am using a "No implants" supposition.It would also be helpful to other patients reading this answer to know if you were a smoker before or after surgery. Though this complication can occur in nonsmokers, it is very rare, and yet is a 15-20% possibility in even a single cigarette smoker, e-cig user, or even Nicorette gum, spray, lozenge, or even second-hand smoke exposure patient.Another question I have is if your surgeon used Vicryl sutures, as the wound breakdown seems to follow that pattern (look at the spots around your areolas). Click on the web reference link below for more information about this. In general, monofilament sutures (Monocryl, PDS, Panacryl, and others) are superior to braided sutures (Vicryl, Dexon, etc.), the latter of which can harbor skin bacteria in their braided interstices, initiating the breakdown process that led to your present situation. Again, this is for the other patients who might be reading this information.Keep doing the wet to dry debridements, and follow your surgeon's advice. I would hope s/he starts reducing the frequency of your dressing regimen as things clean up, and as long as no implants are present to worry about exposure, surgical debridement can accelerate healing as well. This will be remarkably better than it looks right now, so I'm glad to hear you are being a patient patient! Hang in there--this will end up allright for you, albeit with a little more scarring (that can be revised later, if you wish). Best wishes! Dr. Tholen

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

I'm sorry to hear/see the complication you are experiencing. These complications can be quite distressing to both patients and their plastic surgeons, especially if there is a underlying breast implant present. I'm glad to hear that you see your plastic surgeon frequently. Ultimately, he/she will be your best guide when it comes to discontinuing the wet to dry dressing changes. Generally, these types of dressing changes are discontinued once wounds are clean and no longer in need of "debridement". Best wishes for a speedy healing and an outcome that you will be pleased with longer-term.

Jeffrey Zwiren, MD · Answer

The purpose of wet to dry dressing changes is to mechanically debride the would so it can heal.  If you are having a difficult time with pain see your plastic surgeon.

Wet to dry q3h. How long will I have to do the wet to dry dressings? It hurts getting them off and changing them (Photo)

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Answer: Wet to dry q3h. How long will I have to do the wet to dry dressings? It hurts getting them off and changing them

Answer: Wet to dry q3h. How long will I have to do the wet to dry dressings? It hurts getting them off and changing them

Answer: Wet to dry dressing changes

Answer: Wet to dry dressing changes

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Wet to dry q3h. How long will I have to do the wet to dry dressings? It hurts getting them off and changing them (Photo)

Answers (7)

Answer: Wet to dry q3h. How long will I have to do the wet to dry dressings? It hurts getting them off and changing them

Answer: Wet to dry q3h. How long will I have to do the wet to dry dressings? It hurts getting them off and changing them

Answer: Wet to dry dressing changes

Answer: Wet to dry dressing changes

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Everything you need to know about Breast Lift

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