C sesction just won't heal!!!!

[Besmonetha]

I had a c section in March, which I am told went very well by both the surgeon and the anesthetist.

The thing is, there is a tiny part that just refuses to heal.

I've had three courses of antibiotics, including one as recommended after a swab was taken. Now today, I went to clean the scar, which I have to be careful about because there is a little bit of my stomach that hangs over the scar, and it is bleeding and oozing a little pus again AGAIN.

I know that I'm off to the doctors, but that can wait until Monday because luckily I have a few days of one of the antibiotics stashed in my cupboard (because the emergency GP gave me a prescription for and handed me a few to start me off with, leaving me with an excess) and a lovely tube of antibiotic cream that was also over prescribed.

Has anyone else had this?? What worked in the end? I know what has to happen with this, I'm just feeling a little miserable and frustrated by the whole process.

Hiya, poor you, doesn't sound ideal

How are you cleaning the area?After both my VB (episiotomy) and ELCS, I bathed in salt water - some say it works, some say it doesn't and its just the water, but I added a table spoon of sea salt and healed well from both.

Pat the wound dry with a clean separate towel. Lie down and expose it to the air for a while

Actually, are you 'airing' the part of the wound that hasn't yet healed? Very tricky to do with a baby to look after, but if you can, lie down and expose the wound to the air when you LO naps. It could be that the part of your tummy that hangs over the wound is allowing it to stay moist, and thus a breeding ground for bacteria.

Have you had a swab to identify bacteria, btw?

You could also apply a sanitary towel to the wound to act as a kind of dressing; to keep it dry and your tummy skin away from it.

I hope that those suggestions help. Best of luck with it

Sorry, just read that you had a swab.

Also, when you come to clean the wound - apologies for stating what might be obvious, but are your hands clean? As in, washed immediately before touching?

Is the area red, swollen, painful, oozing? Do you feel unwell? All signs of infection.

I would make an appointment with your practice nurse. If it was me (difficult to assess without seeing it)I would probably use an antimicrobial dressing iodine or honey to just finish off the healing. If it still refuses to heal you can use vacuumed dressings which are very good.

I had something similar with a scar ( not from c-sec but very similar position). In the end, I was referred to a tissue viability nurse who was fantastic. She prescribed specialist dressings and wound packings. She packed and dressed the wound regularly and it healed well after her treatments. I had op at start of April and it healed by mid June!

Hope you get help to sort it.

Thanks for that.

It's not painful, but there is blood and pus, so I think that this is the start of infection setting in again. I've been really careful about cleaning and handwashing, the more I look at it, the area around where it's bleeding is dark, so I'm guessing that there is something under the skin that just needs to come out.

I hadn't thought about seeing the tissue viability nurse because it's such a small area, but it seems to be a more likely option. I will mention it when I see the doctor tomorrow.

Please go to OOH doctors, black is NOT good!!! Call them and do tell them about the black, today.

KiaOra I just can't go to OOH, if I go I will have to bring my baby with me and I just can't stand the thought of exposing him to people who potentially have something really wrong with them that he might catch.

I have oral antibiotics and topical antibiotics, if I go to OOH I do not think that I will get the control over treatment options that I will get from my GP. Besides, I don't want to even risk the chance of them uttering the magic words "well let's get you a bed and see how you are in the morning".

First thing I will give my surgery a ring and see the duty doctor before 11.