TramFlap surgical wound opening and infection

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I_amzer3nity
I_amzer3nity Member Posts: 13
edited March 2019 in Breast Reconstruction

Hello, can anyone help me? I had mastectomy and immediate reconstruction by TramFlap method. I was discharged from the hospital 5 days later and on my post op visit with the plastic st he removed the jpg drain and since then my sutures have opened up and I’m oozing fluids and the wound area is red and sore. My primary care doctor has packed the wound and says I need the wound packed every day but having trouble getting my insurance to approve the treatment and I don’t know how to pack the wound myself. All I know is I’m in a lot of pain and sick from seeing the fluid oozing from the wound and not knowing what’s going to happen. I can’t go around what this opening in my abdomen. I f anyone has information where I can get help please tell me do you think the emergency room at any hospital will help me?

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  • Mojojennijo
    Mojojennijo Member Posts: 173
    edited February 2019

    I had diep and it opened about 6 inches of it. It looked so gross. I guess I should specify that it was my breast that opened. I also opened my tummy and hat drained for maybe 7 weeks. (I’m at 8 weeks) finally the breast is starting to fill in where it was gaping open.

    My ps said it would heal on its own. But my tummy got infected and had to go on antibiotics. But other than the antibiotics I was told everything is looking ok and would close up eventually. My ps is very casual about it all. Here I come in saying my boob is falling off and there’s a giant hole and they say it is healthy live tissue and it will heal

    My advice to you would be to talk to your Plastic surgeon, they can get you on a regimen. It sounds so early after bmx to have drains out. My ps had me just cover with gauze and Vaseline. I didn’t have to pack it. But he said I if I really was bothered by it he would go in surgically, clean it out and close. I wanted to wait and see :)



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  • jbdayton
    jbdayton Member Posts: 700
    edited February 2019

    I had my breast incision open back up as well. I packed it for 8 weeks then my PS finally ordered a wound vac for me. It took another 3 and a half weeks to finally heal. I would ask your PCP or your PS for a referral to a wound care facility. I lost almost half my breast and it took several fat grafting surgeries to fix it.

    Good luck.

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  • I_amzer3nity
    I_amzer3nity Member Posts: 13
    edited March 2019

    dear god! Where you inpatient at a hospital? Or did you have wound vac at home?

    My abdomen wound opened and measures 9cm by 3cm and been on vac therapy 3 weeks with no sign of improvement and consistent pain

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  • Imdtm23
    Imdtm23 Member Posts: 27
    edited March 2019

    I had diep flap in Dec and my abdomen opened up about 4 weeks later. They first tried just watching it then it opened even more. My PS stitched my entire abdomen incision back up. A week later. I developed a seroma and they had to cut a section of it open and pack it. I had so much packing I felt like a magician doing the scarf trick. My PS stressed to me to eat PROTEIN, PROTEIN and more PROTEIN. I've been eating over 100g a day and it went from an 8cm hole to barely there in a month. Now I'm afraid I will have the same healing problems and seroma if he does phase 2.

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