Open wound healing

Had surgery at Mayo on January 22nd. Had a a resection and extensive scar tissue repair. Old stoma site (where fistula was) has two open wounds which are very slow to heal. Doc's did a culture and am growing some strep and something else. I do not have a systemic infection at this point. I am starting Bactrim (short course) this evening for 7 days to prevent getting more infection. Has anyone else had this experience, and how helpful was the antibiotic. Mayo said to use soap in the shower, but these wounds are larger than when they last saw me. I live in Mt, not Mn. My docs here say no soap! Little concerned that I have done something to cause this infection. Any constructive and, hopefully, positive comments are appreciated. P.S. I love my new stoma...it works well and I am no longer leaking everyday.

OOPs. staph, not strep

Sorry you have to deal with this. I also had an old stoma site get infected, but it happened a few days after surgery.I also had a course of antibiotics and it was left open to heal. It was deep enough that I couldn't see the bottom at the beginning. Regarding soap, I wasn't told to actually wash it with soap, but that it was fine if soap lather ran into it. The only big concern about soap that I am aware of it that you don't want to use soap that will dry it out, because you want it to stay moist to facilitate healing. Mine took a few months to heal... like maybe 4 months to heal completely, but by 2 months it did not look nearly so scary any more.

You did not do anything to cause it! Most people carry staph bacteria on their skin and in their noses and it lives there harmlessly. Unless it finds its way into a wound

I wish I had some better info for you. Of all the gross things I have experienced, the open wound was the one I hated the most! I am glad your new stoma is working out for you though.

Thanks for the info. I wish it would dry out more....lots of drainage and the narrower one bleeds quite a bit when I take the dressing out. Hopefully, the Bactrim will work and the healing can go on. I am only in to this 2 months. Interested to hear that yours took about 4 months to heal. I have a new grandbaby, a preemi who weighs 6 lbs 12 oz now.Hope I can hold her when she comes to visit next week! l'll check with the doc, but feel that if I wash my hands and have clean clothes on there should not be a problem .

I had the same surgery you had two years ago. My site got colonized by strep but it took a while before someone actually gave me antibiotic. They were thinking crohn was the reason for slow healing but I actually cross contaminated myself and caught a strep-throat so I was put on antibiotics after roughly what, 5-6 weeks post-op with open wounds. During the antibiotic treatment (and after for that matter) the healing speed rocketed. I think the whole thing was closed in the next 2 weeks.

As far as washing go... I would not get my wound soaked for the whole time cause I was told not too at first... No one ever told me I could so I kept going that way. I had to go change my dressings everyday at my local health center so they would only use saline water.

Thanks Psycho Jane: You and I seem to have a lot in common. I have some staph growing, not strep, but very good to know that your healing speeded up considerably with the antibiotics. Hope this holds true for me.

Sounds like quite the ordeal you have been through :hug:

P.S. Staph causes strep throat

Well, darn it. It appears that I now have MRSA in the wound...fortunately, it is localized in the wound. So disappointing. They took a nose culture today. Nuts!

oh man I'm sorry to hear that. But hopefully with a proper diagnosis, you will be on the road to healing. big hugs.

P.S. Staph causes strep throat

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I think it is a language thing. In french, the strep throat seems to strictly refer to the presence of Streptococcus A bacteria (the one that reacts to the quick strep test). I think Staph infection would only be refered as pharingitis or laryngitis (or whatever -itis applicable) here.

As far as MRSA goes, I am not super knowledgeable on the topic. I have seen a few new developments in the past few years. I think manuka honey, surgihoney and those similar are suppose to be helping. I wonder if it would worth trying it with your wound? Maybe ask your physician about it?

kitmus said:

Well, darn it. It appears that I now have MRSA in the wound...fortunately, it is localized in the wound. So disappointing. They took a nose culture today. Nuts!

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I'm glad to see from another thread of yours that open wound healing is just about finished and that you are coping well with your new stoma.
:thumleft:

Staph and strep are 2 different bacterias that everyone carries on their skin. Every time I had infections and wounds there was staph and strep involved.
Hope your healing is going well