wound infection

[Anchie]

Dear all,

I friend of mine had her first surgery to correct kyphoscoliosis, hemivertebrae and fractured vertebrae on 22 Dec 2008. last week she noticed the pain wasn't diminishing and was pretty sick. One morning she woke up with sheets beneath her soaking wet! She hurried to see her surgeoin and he said that was probably an intrahospital wound infection.

The swab confirmed the surgeons suspicions! It's an infection. He cleans her wound every day and he is thinking about reopening her to clean the wound.

She has been in hospital for 7 days now and she is a real mess! I don't know how to help her or what to say to encourage her since I haven't had a surgery ! Maybe you could tell me how the recovery period after this compication looks like, how long it lasts, what she can expect and so on....

Thanx a lot,
ana

[Sharshe]

Ana,
So sorry to hear about your friend. It is NOT a fun experience to have an infection after this surgery. Been there done that. I think it really depends on where and how bad the infection is (along with what type). I had my surgeries back in May and #s 3 and 4 in June (they were for infection). I was on IV antibiotics for 10 wks and I'm still on oral until June, then it will be decided on whether the hardware is infected (and continue meds or remove hardware) or everything is good.
The most you can probably do for her right now is be there. Its no fun having to be in the hospital to begin with but when its not going the way you expected can be a bummer. Having someone to rag to and not feel bad about it is nice. Offer to bring in goodies from home. I couldn't wait to have a Starbucks Frappachino The hospital food isn't bad but when your already feeling a bit down its nice to have something special.
Let her know my thoughts and prayers are with her. Its a scary thing to be going through.

[Sharshe]

Well I just noticed where you're at, so Starbucks is probably not an option. Basically all I meant was find out what would be a special treat and bring that while she's in the hospital. This is a good idea for anyone who's laid up.

[LindaRacine]

Hi Ana...

If it's a deep wound infection, I can't imagine how it's even going to start to improve until they open her up and clean out the bacteria. I've known people who had very quick recoveries after the clean out procedure. I've also known people who have had to have repeated surgeries over a period of many years.

Your friend can almost count on being on IV antibiotics for some amount of time. Here in the U.S., IV antibiotics can be self administered at home.

I hope your friend gets the appropriate care, and has a speedy recovery.

Regards,
Linda

[Anchie]

Dear Sharshe and Linda,

thank you for replying and giving advice on how to deal with this troublesome complication.

I've done some googling in search for information about outcomes of this kind of infection and the prognoses are mostly grim. Most of them end up with their hardware removed, a small number of them is lucky to keep the hardware. Nevertheless, whatever happens in the end, it seems to be a long way for my friend and all the people in the same situation!

As soon as I recover from my surgery (I had my gall bladder removed last Friday) I'm going to take her all these treats you mentioned, Sharshe! If not sturbuck we'll find some other special food here in Serbia (cevapi, sarma, kajmak....) She has already ordered some books from me to borrow from the library. It seems books put her mind on ease a little bit!

I'll give her your regards, she'll be glad to hear that!

Thank you once again for being so supportive!

[Sharshe]

Hi again Ana,
The other night I was thinking about your friend. If they have her on antibiotics (which they should), please make sure she is eating yogurt (I hate the stuff) or taking a pro-biotic/Acidophilus (what I do). It will help keep her from getting Thrush or yeast infections. They hadn't told me about this in the hospital, my mother-in-law and sister told me. Tell her to hang in there it eventually does get better.
Please take care of yourself too. You need to heal after your surgery. What a special friend you are to be thinking about others when you are going through your own healing.

[Anchie]

Hi Sharshe,

thanks for the advice. The yeast infection is something inevitable when taking antibiotics for so long and thanx for reminding me to tell her about that!

I'm actually in the process of healing from this gall bladder surgery. Any surgery is a serious thing not to be taken for granted, but mine is nothing in comparison to what my friend and all of you folks are/were through!

I were in much pain after the surgery but today it's my 7th day post-op and my pain and discomfort has almost gone! But with scoliosis surgery it's not the case definitely! I have to think about others in worse situation than I am!

[Anchie]

Dear all,

Now some bad news.... two days ago my friend called me to say that her wound has started leaking again. Her incision opened a few inches above the initial place of leaking... And it's all puss inside... It's harder for her to move than the first time her wound got infected... She doesn't have fever. Her surgeon is at a total loss! He hopes he won't have to open her this time. She was about 6 weeks on antibiotics compared to you who still take them.... she's so worried and dissapointed... She asked me to post here and try to find out something new....
so if you have any suggestions and advice, please, post here...

She's going to the hospital today to have her wound cleaned. I'll post the update later.

[Karen Ocker]

It's nice of you to help your friend but it would be better for her to participate in the forum herself.

[LindaRacine]

Hi Anchie...

I hope your friend is being seen by an infectious disease specialist. They're hard to come by, but they do exist.

I had a friend who had her wound cleaned out half a dozen different times before they finally gave up and took out her implants. She's been fine ever since.

Regards,
Linda

[suzyjay]

I am recovering from implant removal surgery. I have the MRSA staph infection for over 2 years and the hardware had to be removed because infection won't go away. I was on antibiotics for over 2 year to keep the infection under control so I could keep the implants until my fusion had a better chance to be healed and solid, which is 2 years. I was lucky enough to be able to find antibiotics so I was able to return to work and function until the hardware can be removed. No matter what doctors say I know from experience and doctor finally admitting it - going in and cleaning it out and replacing the hardware and putting you on iv antibiotics does not work The infection does not go away, an infection attaches to the hardware and will never go away until the hardware is totally removed. I had surgery over two years ago fused t4 to l4 and got this infection from hospital (NYU Medical Center) and when I found out I had this infection I could not get answers for a long time and with lots time searching the internet and asking my doctors a lot of questions I finally found out. After you come out of this devastating surgery the doctor does not want to tell you that the surgery they performed caused an infection and for the next couple of years you are going to put up with pain the take meds and in the end have to go in for surgery again to remove everything. I had surgery 3 weeks ago and I am on IV antibiotics for at least 3 more weeks. I thought that was it but I have a hematoma (sp) on my back - it a small pocket on the incision that keeps filling up with fluid/blood and I will have to get it drained until it stops and my doctor said he know of some hematoma can last months. Stay strong.

[nervous]

I feel for everyone that has went through dealing with an infection as I've heard it's no fun. How long after the surgery was performed did you have to wait until you realized you had an infection?

[Anchie]

I feel for everyone that has went through dealing with an infection as I've heard it's no fun. How long after the surgery was performed did you have to wait until you realized you had an infection?

I haven't had a surgery but I've read that a couple of years can pass untill the infection shows itself.

[Anchie]

It's nice of you to help your friend but it would be better for her to participate in the forum herself.

Dear Karen,
it would be very nice if she could post here. But obviously she can't. She neither speaks English nor have a computer or the access to the Internet....

I hope you understand her reasons....

[Anchie]

I am recovering from implant removal surgery. I have the MRSA staph infection for over 2 years and the hardware had to be removed because infection won't go away. I was on antibiotics for over 2 year to keep the infection under control so I could keep the implants until my fusion had a better chance to be healed and solid, which is 2 years. I was lucky enough to be able to find antibiotics so I was able to return to work and function until the hardware can be removed. No matter what doctors say I know from experience and doctor finally admitting it - going in and cleaning it out and replacing the hardware and putting you on iv antibiotics does not work The infection does not go away, an infection attaches to the hardware and will never go away until the hardware is totally removed. I had surgery over two years ago fused t4 to l4 and got this infection from hospital (NYU Medical Center) and when I found out I had this infection I could not get answers for a long time and with lots time searching the internet and asking my doctors a lot of questions I finally found out. After you come out of this devastating surgery the doctor does not want to tell you that the surgery they performed caused an infection and for the next couple of years you are going to put up with pain the take meds and in the end have to go in for surgery again to remove everything. I had surgery 3 weeks ago and I am on IV antibiotics for at least 3 more weeks. I thought that was it but I have a hematoma (sp) on my back - it a small pocket on the incision that keeps filling up with fluid/blood and I will have to get it drained until it stops and my doctor said he know of some hematoma can last months. Stay strong.

Dear suzyjay,

thanx for your story! I'll pass it on to my friend and it would mean a lot to her!

And I 'm so sorry you have been through such an experience.....

I hope it all ends well!

Hi Anchie...

I hope your friend is being seen by an infectious disease specialist. They're hard to come by, but they do exist.

I had a friend who had her wound cleaned out half a dozen different times before they finally gave up and took out her implants. She's been fine ever since.

Regards,
Linda

Dear Linda,
thanx for your advice about a specialist.

Did your friend wait until fusion got solid to have her implants removed or not?