Surgery Infection Questions

[dustydshook]

I had an illeocecal resection on May 18. I have had reaccurring infections. I had a pic line from the end of May to the beggining of August. Now I am having more swelling and pain at the surgery sight. I had another colonoscopy, endoscopy, and mri. The said there is a large area of inflamation around the anastomosis. That could be another infection. They are not really saying why I keep getting these infections. The specialist at university of MD says it could be a small leak that hasn't healed. The surgeon says no I would be deathly ill if I had a leak. The mri contrast didn't show leakage but the specialist says it wouldn't neccesarily show it if it is small enough. Does anyone else know what it could be? Why would I be getting these infections over and over, if it's not a leak? They have put me on flagyl and amoxa/clav for a month. If that doesn't work then they will inplant a stint under my clavical and feed me by IV fluids for an entire month!! No food by mouth. I need answers and noone can answer my question just a lot of maybees and what ifs. I am tired of being an experiment. Has anyone experienced this? Or have any answers?

 

[DustyKat]

The only thing I can think of that may cause repeated irritation and infection that is not a leak would a foreign body. Maybe suture material or something??? (((shrug)))

Dusty.

 

[Crohn's 35]

My sister and I had surgery around the same time she got infected worse than I so she had to go back and get a drainage tube put in. Leakage is better seen in a barium small bowel follow through. Alot surgeons have egos, but your Gi could be right. Hope you get relief soon. Flagyl should help do the trick.

 

[rottengut91]

I had developed a small leak at my anastomosis before my last resection. Have no idea how long it had been leaking, but I was not deathly ill.

 

[dustydshook]

I am wondering....a thought just hit me. I can't wear jewelry of any kind my skin breaks out in hives, it swells and peals and burns. I wonder if my body is rejecting the staples they used to reconnect me? Is this possible?

 

[Jennifer]

I don't know. That's something I'd tell my doctor about. My guess is that if it's the staples, then you probably would have had a severe reaction a lot sooner. But again I don't know.

I got an infection after my resection and they said it didn't heal properly because I was on Prednisone for so long leaving my tissue swollen and thick. Basically they said the more tissue you have (the thickness of it/the fat layer), the harder it can be to heal. They opened me back up after a week and made it so I had to heal from the inside out by packing the wound tightly with gauze (that's been placed in some sort of salty liquid). This lasted for a little over a month and I had to shower twice a day but I was able to do normal activities (you have to have someone else pack it though).

Sounds like you're well past that point though. It could be possible that you have a small spot that hasn't healed and if its so small, that could be why you aren't violently ill. I know I was but there was A LOT of fluid building up inside (between my muscle tissue and my fat layer). Ask Rottengut91 what they did for her as you may have a similar condition that she already went through.

 

[dustydshook]

Thanks Crabby, yeah they have already opened me back up twice. Was on a pick line for two months and basically have been on and off of oral antibiotics now since begining of August. This has been going on since May 18th day of my surgery. I am gonna call the specialist and surgeon tomorrow and run the allergy thing by both of them and see what they think.