Medical Question - Surgical Scar

[wadesworld]

Any doctors, PAs, nurses, surgery techs, etc. out there?  Random question about a scar that keeps splitting.

I had an implantable cardiac monitor that I just had taken out in November, so there's a scar over a scar that is essentially over my heart (left side of my chest).  Probably a little under an inch long but has grown into a relatively wide scar.  Each end of the scar has healed up nicely but the middle of it a little hole keeps splitting open when I shower.  I have been making an X over the part that is splitting with band aids lately and it has helped but about once a week it still splits open.

They used dissolvable stitches below the skin and then what they said was essentially super glue over the skin to seal up the cut.

Does anybody have any recommendations as to how to keep the scar from getting wet in the shower/how to keep it dry to prevent it from splitting and to get it to heal completely?  Obviously I do my best to not let the water run right onto it in any way, but water still ends up getting on the scar one way or another and it continues to split open.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Benny B]

If this is a life threatening emergency, please hang up and dial 911.

If this is an issue that involves recurrent bleeding, please close MUScoop and call your doctor.

Seriously, though, call your doctor. But if that's not an option for whatever reason, get yourself some 3M steri-strip closures (not sure if you can buy them anywhere... might have to use eBay), and use those instead of band-aids... they are resistant to water, etc. and designed to keep surface wounds closed.

Seriously, though, call your doctor.   If not for your own peace of mind, your doctor is going to want to know if a wound re-opened.

And one more thing.... take your pick: iodine, H202, isopropyl alcohol.  Any one of these I know you can buy at the corner drug store.  Keep the wound clean with something antiseptic.

[keefe]

Each end of the scar has healed up nicely but the middle of it a little hole keeps splitting open when I shower.  I have been making an X over the part that is splitting with band aids lately and it has helped but about once a week it still splits open.

Duct tape.

We used duct tape for wound care in the teams. It works.

We also used OB tampons for wound care.

[brandx]

Duct tape.

We used duct tape for wound care in the teams. It works.

We also used OB tampons for wound care.

Duct tape and a hammer fixes anything.

Sounds like the moisture may be contributing, so make sure the scar does not get wet.

[jesmu84]

PA here.

It's really tough to "diagnose" something over the internet. But it sounds like you've got some scar tissue problems along with an incision that failed to heal properly. You'll want to return to whomever closed that wound. It may require re-suturing or another closure method. If the two sides of the incision have already "closed" on their own, there is literally nothing you personally could do to fix it

[Spotcheck Billy]

I thought WD40 was for moisture problems not duct tape

[jsglow]

I'm thinking that tower's Jaws of Life can really open that baby up and we can get a good look and make a proper diagnosis.

[rocket surgeon]

PA here.

It's really tough to "diagnose" something over the internet. But it sounds like you've got some scar tissue problems along with an incision that failed to heal properly. You'll want to return to whomever closed that wound. It may require re-suturing or another closure method. If the two sides of the incision have already "closed" on their own, there is literally nothing you personally could do to fix it

sometimes they will re-anesthetize of course, then reopen slightly and scrape the wound edges to re-open the blood vessels and re-create a fresh wound, then re-suture to get primary closure.  tell/ask your doc, if this were your wife/mistress bikini line, what would he do??  that'll get his attention-heyyyyyyyyyna?

[rocket surgeon]

   and sew 'er up tight, lots of tiny stitches,, fine suture material, close together.  once it's healed back together, apply vitamin E oil or balm and you will see the scar almost disappear.  the amount of healing/scar dissolution will depend on the region/tissue type and...sorry-age

[4everwarriors]

Consult a plastic surgeon and get a scar revision, hey?

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Depending on the size of the opening, you could have yourself a career in fetish porn.

[Jay Bee]

Just stay out of the shower for a couple of months. ZFB does and he still pulls dudes weekly.

[real chili 83]

Slap some hot iron to it.  Be a man.

[rocket surgeon]

  when this bad boy splits open on ya, there ain't any funny lookin colored stuff leakin out?  that would be a bad sign...ain't ya glad that ya came here with that medical question?  we just filled your head with all kinds of "free advice" heyna?

[keefe]

This is the sort of stupid sh1t that makes Scoop the essential reading it has become for so many otherwise sophisticated gentlemen.

[GOO]

And I thought it questionable when I came to scoop with my IT questions... this is much better! But hey, there is a true community of knowledge here.. my IT questions  were answered better than I could find via google searches.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Jaybee's new choad is still tearing from his operation to sew his vag up.

[Jay Bee]

Jaybee's new choad is still tearing from his operation to sew his vag up.

2:28pm? how this fuk boi posting during work release. that's another 6 months on this white