View Full Version : Question about C-section . . . wound problems
csa12
03-13-2004, 03:17 PM
Hi everyone!
A dear friend of mine delivered a baby girl on 3/10 and to her surprise the OB-GYN took out her staples the day she went home, which was day three after the surgery. This seems really early to have the staples taken out. I thought that the earliest would be a week. When she asked her Ob-gyn she said they have taken staples out that early before and it should not be a problem. However my friend's DH, who luckily is in the medical field, has to pack her wound with gauze several times a day because it is starting to open. Anyone else have staples taken out less than a week after their c-section?
Thanks!
Cheryl :)
tarahsolazy
03-13-2004, 03:26 PM
After all the support I got here today, I get to answer someone else's question, yay! I just had a C/S on 3/5, went home on post op day 3, and had my staples removed as well before going home. My OB replaced them with Steri-strips, which are little tapes that cross the wound. I was told to leave them there until they fell off. They are getting loose now, but my wound looks great. My DH, a general surgeon, was a bit horrified, he wouldn't have removed them for 7-10 days, but all seems well. He also didn't watch the c/s, because he didn't want to see the OBs operating on me, which I mean in a sweet way. He just stayed by my head. So it sounds like your friend's experience is not abnormal, at least based on Portland, OR OB standards.
ktdid74
03-13-2004, 04:20 PM
Hi Cheryl- I work as an OB nurse and I've always seen staples come out at 3 or 4 days. They then put on the steri strips and tell you not to take them off till your 2 week check. I had 2 c/s myself and never had a problem. I'm sorry this happened to your friend though!
egoldber
03-13-2004, 04:40 PM
I never had staples, only the dissolving stitches and the steri-strips (which I took off myself, with much trepidation, a week or so later).
Unfortunately, a C-section wound opening and even getting infected is not an uncommon occurance. Has she talked to her OB? Opening and oozing can be a sign that the incision has become infected.
Also, make sure she isn't overdoing things. She shouldn't be climbing stairs more than a couple times a day and shouldn't be lifting anything heavier than the baby.
HTH,
gisele
03-13-2004, 04:52 PM
I've had this incision twice (once to remove ovary, one for C-section). Both times staples were taken out after 3 days and little sticky strips put on. I've never had a problem with the incision.
However, if your friend is showing oozing and it opening up, she should call her doctor right away.
And as someone else mentioned, she shouldn't lift anything heavier than the baby. If she coughs, she should hold a small pillow on her incision for support. She also shouldn't be driving for two weeks.
MelissaTC
03-13-2004, 05:23 PM
My staples were taken out right before I left the hospital as well. I had no problems with my incision other than a yeast infection...18 months later!
ETA that I too had the strips and they basically fell off before my incision check appointment 2 weeks later...
westchicagomom
03-13-2004, 05:53 PM
My staples were taken out on the 3rd day and replaced w/ steri-strips. After 5 days, the wound began oozing a little and we ended up in the emergency room where they gave me a scrip for an antibiotic. Shortly after coming home from the ER, it began oozing lots of blood (sorry TMI) and I went to the doctor that afternoon. About a cm of the wound had opened and the doc had to irrigate it. For the next 7 days, DH (poor guy) had to pour hydrogen peroxide on it (ouch!) and irrigate it as well. It healed up, but took a long time. The reason I was told it opened up was due to the pressure of the infection - so I am not sure whether having the staples taken out early was a factor or not.
Pam
Mom to Lilabeth (9-03)
hobey
03-13-2004, 07:25 PM
Hmm, I had stitches and steri-strips but had to go in to see my OB 2 weeks later because my wound started to open and ooze. They cleaned it out really well with peroxide and it was back to more steri-strips for another week.
I would recommend she talk to her OB about this. It took a good 6-8 weeks before my incision was fully healed and I just cleaned it with peroxide until then.
Raquel
Nathan's Mom 12/19/03
JElaineB
03-13-2004, 08:08 PM
My OB had planned on taking my staples out after a week, but after about 5 days my incision was showing signs of infection, so a few staples came out on day 5 and were replaced with Steri-strips, then the rest on day 7. But by then I had a full blown infection so they left the wound open and my mom then DH had to clean out and pack the wound twice a day for about 8 weeks then once a day for another 4 weeks. I was also on oral antibiotics for the first 10 days, and ended up with a recurring fungal infection at the incison site, with many medications to treat that. It was a nightmare! I still have lasting effects today. Did your friend's doctor look at the incison site? Did the doc recommend packing the wound? If not, she needs to see the doc to get it evaluated. I went in 1-2 times a week for the longest time just for wound checks. Infected incisions can be a big deal, so if the doctor hasn't looked at it recently, she really should go in.
Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02
csa12
03-13-2004, 10:17 PM
Thanks so much for all of your helpful responses!
I went to see her today and although she is uncomfortable, she's being a trooper. I also got more details. Before she left the hospital, she noticed the wound opening. She and her DH alerted the ob-gyn, who checked it out before they left and said it was ok. She also recommended that she irrigate it and pack it. I don't recall her saying it was infected. I guess my friend and her Dh were a bit surprised that the wound opened right after the procedure. I will tactfully and gently remind her to take it easy (she was up and about probably more often than she should have been today when I stopped by) and offer her my time so that she could take breaks from the baby after her Dh goes back to work.
Thanks again everyone!
Cheryl
Yep, they took mine out the day I left the hospital, which was 3 days after the surgery. And I didn't develop any problems with the wound other than a bit of a yeast infection over the area since my belly flap covered the wound and it got damp in the hot weather.
ETA: Oops, after reading the other posts, I remember they put on steri strips when they removed the staples. And, I did have a small amount of oozing liquid, but never got an infection. They just had me put gauze in there to help absorb some of the *small* amt of oozing.
kransden
03-15-2004, 03:50 PM
I had dd on a Thurs. evening and the staples out on Mon. morning. I had the steri strips. No problems and my scar is pretty small. I would go back to the dr. to have it checked out.
Karin and Katie 10/24/02
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