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Songwriter
07-21-2007, 10:25 AM
Does anyone have any idea? Going back to the surgeon is a hassle but I'll do it if need be.

Had gall bladder surgery 17 days ago. Tried to do laporoscopic but couldn't complete it that way and they had to do it the old way. An 8" incision through the belly muscles. I've never known anything like this, so, I thought I'd ask.

Staples were removed six days ago. The scar is doing very well, scabs almost totally healed over now. Barely perceptiple in a couple of spots. But at the lower end of the scar, just under my right rib cage, you can visibly see "something" under the skin. I asked them if there is anything inside me other than stiches and they said no, just stitches. I thought maybe there is a mesh or something; my brother said they put a mesh guide in his hernia repair operation.

It's like they didn't line the muscles up where they sewed them together... there is a spot where there is something pooching out under the skin. Hard to describe, it looks like they left a candy bar or something under the skin. :)

It has lessened as time has gone on but it's still visible. Just wondering if this is normal and will go away with time.

This is exactly where my guitar rests against my abdomen when I play and it's going to be a problem if it doesn't go away.

Thanks if you know anything. And yes, I asked the surgeon and doc about this when they took the staples out. One of them put a couple of pieces of tape over the apex of the point that pooches out the most. I have no idea what that was supposed to accomplish.

I figured this was normal but now, I'm not so sure. I mean, worst case scenario, it's a botched stitch up job but man, you'd think they could do better than that.

Overall, I'm doing much better than I or others expected. I'm getting up and down easily, it gets better each day. Walking almost normally. No pain pills needed as of yesterday.

Gaelen
07-21-2007, 11:53 AM
Songwriter...I have the exact same scar. They've actually used that incision twice. It's a lot harder to 'line up' the abdominal muscles than you would think. My scar pooches out a little too, about 1/8th inch higher than the rest of the skin in that area.

You do need to be careful about hernias after having an abdominal incision like that...I have two of them from accidentally lifting something that was too heavy. So be careful.

Ammy
07-21-2007, 01:50 PM
Yep, my partner has the same thing...she said that at one point she rolled over in bed and felt something funny...looked down, and the incision had "moved" out of alignment therefore giving her a pooch on one side (like it tried to overlap the other side a little). Absolutely NO pain though...

She (and I) like her scar...it's soft and smooth and gives her belly character!

Missy
07-21-2007, 02:18 PM
Give it time Songwriter...I had this done over a year and a half ago...and I got the lucky 8 inch souvenir too! :D :rolleyes: :eek: :jawDrop: My incision has changed and smoothed and eventually 'adjusts', softens, flatens out and changes color or fades. I had a hard ridge in one area under the belly button from when they 'tried' to do it the easy way....and it's softened up alot.

I don't know about the meshy thing your talking about though?

My point is that the skin/body is an AMAZING thing..and although you'll always see that scar...it's also amazing to watch how the body adapts and heals to the oddness of the situation your left with.

I've also been told to rub Vitamin E on the incisions after my breast reduction to help improve scar healing. I'm not recommending this to you to do without approval, of course....I'm just mentioning what I've been told about scar recovery.

After my breast reduction, I had OUT RIGHT gathered skin that is now eventually smoothing and evening out.

I hope this helps in some regard?

Songwriter
07-21-2007, 10:35 PM
Wow, I never figured three people would say same type thing.

It's just really odd, like you can see the outline of something under the skin.

Are you supposed to "do anything" to mend? All he said was don't lift anything. I wonder about eventually walking (for exercise... pre-surgery I walked 5x/week), toning the midsection, things like that. They never said anything at all about rehab.

Being a guitar player, this peak pooching out might be a problem and I'd like to do what I can to smoothe it out.

Thanks.

Missy
07-21-2007, 11:13 PM
Nope, nothing further needed to mend....just time. Surely eating PP way has to help as I'm sure the body benefits from all the protein!

Also, consider, when your laying out on the operation table...and then they sew you back up....well,they've moved everything around a lot....so I can see where it would be hard to even up the one side to the other.

I'd say do what you can do, but don't push it. After all songwriter this wasn't a 'simple' operation but a major one...so don't rush it. I still have after a year and a half, have numb areas on my stomach...so this all just takes time.