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  • Infection in surgery site

    Yesterday I got home from being back in the hospital for 4 days. Tuesday, 5/18 I had to have my incision opened up due to drainage. I was so anxietous going back into surgery as I had so many complications last time. I was a wreck.
    Surgery all went well but they found infection in my tissue. After days of waiting for cultures it was not the worst case, resistant strain, it was a strain that can be treated with a variety of antibiotics. But I did have to have a PICC line insterted that allows me to administer IV antibiotic at home. It puts it right into an artery. I have to do this 3 times a day for 6 weeks!
    Have been doing this a day or so now and it is working out pretty good.
    I really hope this is the last complication.
    My husband and I were saying we were not prepared for so many complications. Realizing that this is one of the most major surgeries you can have and how truly hard this is on the body. My hardware is not giving me any problems and I am moving good. Actually went to our outdoor Art Fair today and was out amongst the living and it felt good. Slept hard when I got home, but some walking and eating food out was great for me.
    Oh well, now to re-heal my incision and get this infection cleared up.
    Has anyone else worked through an infection?
    Shari - 55 years old
    Pre-Surgery 62 degree thorasic curve with shifting.
    Post op 13 degree curve.
    Successful surgery 4/15/10, T3-L2 fused.
    2nd surgery to reopen incision 10" to diagnose infection, 5/18/10
    Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI - the late Dr. Harry Herkowitz
    www.scoliosisthejourney.com

  • #2
    Wow Shari - I'm so sorry that you have had to go through this, you are in my thoughts and prayers for a quick healing of your incision again. I'm so happy though to hear you had a lovely day out today, I wish you well very soon Shari.
    Lynette - 44 years old.

    Pre-surgery thoracic 55 degrees
    Pre-surgery lumbar 85 degrees

    Post-surgery thoracic 19 degrees
    Post-surgery lumbar 27 degrees

    Surgery April 1st 2010.

    Posterior spinal fusion from T9 to sacrum.
    Dr. Cronen at University Community Hospital - Tampa, FL.

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    • #3
      Shari--So sorry too to hear about this. 6 weeks more of IV's was not in your plan for sure. Truly hope this works and then it's smooth sailing for you. Janet
      Janet

      61 years old--57 for surgery

      Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
      Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
      Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
      Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
      T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

      All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

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      • #4
        Hi Shari....

        Of the major complications from scoliosis surgery, infections are the most common. I've talked to a lot of people who ended up with infections, and the vast majority say that it's just a minor bump in the road. Hopefully yours will be as well.

        As you've already discovered, administering the antibiotics is pretty easy. I had to be on IV antibiotics after a serious illness about 10 years ago. I got so confident with the setup that I actually was able to take a bag with me to the beauty shop, so I could get my hair colored without missing a dose.

        Regards.
        Linda
        Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
        Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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        • #5
          Hi Shari, It's good that you're sounding quite positive despite this setback. Hope all goes well and your infection clears quickly.
          Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
          Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
          T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
          Osteotomies and Laminectomies
          Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

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          • #6
            Livied through it

            My daughter had P acne which caused problems with the instrumentation. There has been a debate about whether titanium implants are free from the bacterial film that has instrumentation breakdown.

            Infection is rare but seems to be getting less rare

            Check with the doc on whether your infection has any ability to hold on to the instrumentation.

            We did oral anitibiotics the first surgery after IV then did the same regime after the second. We opted out of the home treatment.

            So you are brave and they must trust you!!!!!
            It 's bummer and it takes awhile to process but we are doing okay.

            Continued luck and wishes in your healing process!!!!!!

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            • #7
              Thanks everyone for the support! I have done two days of administering my antibiotic through the IV port and it is really easy and I am much more relaxed about it now. I sure hope it clears it up. They do not think the bacteria has attached to the hardware. Thank God. That will be a whole other set of treatment if that happens. I am taking one day at a time. I had a good day and am feeling really good. A little achy as they re-opened about 8" of my incision last week.
              Thanks again! Shari
              Shari - 55 years old
              Pre-Surgery 62 degree thorasic curve with shifting.
              Post op 13 degree curve.
              Successful surgery 4/15/10, T3-L2 fused.
              2nd surgery to reopen incision 10" to diagnose infection, 5/18/10
              Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI - the late Dr. Harry Herkowitz
              www.scoliosisthejourney.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Best of luck to you, Shari. You have really had an uphill battle at times. Glad you're managing the antibiotics and hope they get the job done quickly. Sending you good wishes for a complication-free recovery from here on out!


                Anne in PA
                Age 58
                Diagnosed at age 14, untreated, no problem until age 50
                T4 to sacrum fusion
                63 thoracic now 35, 92 lumbar now 53
                Dr. Baron Lonner, 2/2/10
                Am pain-free, balanced, happy & an inch taller !

                Comment


                • #9
                  Shari,

                  Really sorry that you are having more troubles. When they pass, it will better highlight the good to come.

                  Hope this passes swiftly and efficiently.

                  Will be thinking of you,
                  Amy
                  Amy
                  58 yrs old, diagnosed at 31, never braced
                  Measured T-64, L-65 in 2009
                  Measured T-57, L-56 in 2010, different doc
                  2 lumbar levels spondylolisthesis
                  Exercising to correct

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    hi Shari
                    sorry you have had to go thru additional grief with this!

                    be careful of PICC line to make sure it stays clean...i got an infected one (Lyme antibiotics) and almost died of septesemia! it can get infected without looking like it on the outside..that is what happened to mine...by the time they got to me, i had 2 hours of oxygen left in my blood!

                    you will be fine, i know...just a heads up...as long as it stays clean and covered, you will do well...do you have a home nurse visiting once in a while?

                    best of luck
                    jess

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                    • #11
                      Shari,

                      You're a trouper! So sorry for this worry and glad that Linda can help put it in perspective for you.

                      Sending you and everyone here healing wishes for your present ills = and past, as well. Jeez, Jess! What a TERRIBLE thing to happen with your antibiotics for Lyme! However did they sort it out?

                      Sometimes I forget you have this double whammy to deal with. Lyme plus spinal deformity/degenerative disease! A good friend I've recently renewed contact with (HS classmate) has Lyme (several infections) and she's given me a mini education about it.

                      Among much I didn't know, is that Connecticut is the center of Lyme (as in "Lyme CT"). I grew up in CT and this is making me rethink moving back. What a lot you have to contend with!

                      And all of you! Twinsmom - I've been following your agonizing saga. What guts you and your daughters have! As one of my favorite greeting cards reads:

                      (Front) "They say that adversity builds character"
                      (Inside) "What a lousy system! "

                      Yeah...

                      OTOH you all have character to spare!

                      I've heard that visualizing healing images can REALLY make a difference - be it cancer "killer cells" or antibiotics doing in bad germs. VISUALIZE THOSE GERMS BEING SUCCESSFULLY OVERCOME!

                      I am, on your behalf. Go get 'em!
                      Last edited by Back-out; 05-25-2010, 04:49 PM.
                      Not all diagnosed (still having tests and consults) but so far:
                      Ehler-Danlos (hyper-mobility) syndrome, 69 - somehow,
                      main curve L Cobb 60, compensating T curve ~ 30
                      Flat back, marked lumbar kyphosis (grade?) Spondilolisthesis - everyone gives this a different grade too. Cervical stenosis op'd 3-07, minimally invasive

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        One more good thing

                        Hi, just wanted to let you know the really good thing is they got it fast!!!!!
                        The drainage was a godsend! With my daughter, at first they thought it was implementation failure at 6 months and we waited a month. Long story teen things.Two days before surgery the blood test showed infection indidicators. So she was full of P acne and we didn't have time to process what that meant. It blew everyone away(medical team). So for you they caught it early yeah! Thought you like to know this. Mary

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                        • #13
                          thanks, Amanda, for the kind words..
                          what i learned with Lyme was..."what doesnt kill you makes you stronger"!! what a way to get strong, huh?! but i also learned that doctors are not to be revered...that some are ignorant and dont want to be educated, many dont believe their own patients, and some like to blame women as "hysterics"! things are getting better, but i still meet doctors who dont believe their patients...i only meet them once, though...

                          actually, Lyme is all over...NY, NJ and CT are the 3 worst states...NY due to upstate (Westchester) and L.I.! but it's everywhere! and those suckers are tiny..the size of the period at the end of a sentence, before they get your blood! i have to check out my sweet puppy all the time...i dont go in the grass for just this reason!

                          those infections keep getting stronger...if you gotta' have one, at least let it be one that can be cured with antibiotics! i hate to see any child have to suffer, and to go thru multiple surgeries...well, i sure hope this next one will be the last!

                          Shari, i hope this is your last complication, too! thank goodness the antibiotics can be portable now...do you have the little round containers that are anti-gravity? they go everywhere! i had those back in the 90's!

                          jess
                          Last edited by jrnyc; 05-25-2010, 08:49 PM.

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