Learned a new word ~~ "dehisced"

[tallpines]

About a month ago my 30 year old gallbladder scar "dehisced"!

The scar is about 12 inches long ---- and about 1/2 inch of it has opened and is stubborn about healing up again.
So, I saw the Doctor on Fri and she certainly seems concerned about it.
Taking an antibiotic now ---- back in 2 weeks.

It certainly seems strange this would occur after 30 years!

Anyone else experience this?

[JuliaAnn]

I haven't, but am glad to know that it is a possibility. I've never heard of old scar tissue opening up like that.

I hope it heals very quickly!

FWIW, I thought 'dehisced' was something that flowers did when the pollen was shed before the flower opened.

[tinknal]

Sounds like a word that doctor would use when they are totally flummoxed.

[Billie in MO]

Great, now you will have me paranoid for the next year! Mine was taken out 29 years ago. I did have to have a scar revision done on mine a year or two later because my scar became raised and caused me a lot of pain.

Hope it heals quickly!!

[AR Cattails]

Oh my. I didn't know that was possible. I had mine out 22 years ago. I'm always running my hand along the scar and a couple of others I have. I don't know why I do it. Just a habit. I hope I don't irritate it and cause it to become dehisced.

[Yvonne's hubby]

Not trying to interfere with your doc here, but if it were me..... I would keep that wound coated/packed with honey till it healed. cant hurt, might help... I have had excellent results over the years using honey as a disinfectant and healing promoter. My docs gives me a rather odd look when tell them what I am doing, but so far none of them has said anything against it either.

[Alice In TX/MO]

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedic...com/dehiscence

[Kshobbit]

As a retired medical professional I have certainly heard the word before. It isn't something that you want to hear your doctor say to you.
Hope it heals up quickly.

[mothernature]

Heck of a way to learn a new word, hope you have a speedy recovery!!

[LisaT]

Honey is good...just make sure it is RAW honey, not the junk from the store which has been pasturized and all the beneficial enzymes killed. Go straight to a beekeeper and get raw honey.

Also good: Dr. Christopher's Bone, Flesh & Cartilage formula (name was recently changed). This will help to reheal that old wound.

Another thing new on the market: Topical wound healing liquid, developed by a wound care nurse : http://www.herbalhealer.com/healingformula.html
I have not had the chance to use this yet, but it looks promising.

[AmberLBowers]

My c-section scar dehisced a couple of weeks after the surgery/birth due to a seroma (collection of clear fluid with no infection) underneath. I spent the next month having an open abdominal wound being packed and repacked every couple of days. Not fun...in your case, I have been in the medical field for 12 years and have never heard of such an old scar dehiscing.

[Tiempo]

I learned that word about 4 years ago when when our dog dehisced (sp?) an intestinal suture after emergency impaction surgery.

Because it was internal, we didn't know until she was a very sick little girl and had already developed peritonitis and some necrosis in her belly (it was within 24 hours of bringing her home).

She went on to spend the next two weeks in doggie ICU and we almost lost her

[pookshollow]

Oh, gee thanks! I just had my gallbaldder out on Monday. Something to look forward to.

[Shygal]

That is a very scary word to nurses!

Ive never heard of an old scar doing that though

[ronbre]

i hear this after having 18 incisions on my abdomen this week..don't like your new word

[vicki in NW OH]

As a medical transcriptionist, I type "dehiscence" quite a lot. Fortunately, it's usually "no dehiscence" the majority of dictations using that particular word.

[calliemoonbeam]

I have a scar about 10” long on my leg from a surgery 24 years ago. A couple of years ago, I developed problems with cellulitis in my legs, and that scar just opened wide open clear down to the bone! I never knew they could do that either that old. I’ve spent the past two years trying to get it healed, with packing, medications, debridements (essentially scrubbing off the top few layers of skin), etc. It gets almost to the point of being healed and then breaks open again, and we have to start all over. It’s extremely frustrating…not to mention disgusting, lol.

However, mine is caused from an outside source, the cellulitis. I’m a medical transcriptionist too, and spontaneous wound dehiscence is much more rare and is usually caused by an underlying infection, an old stitch abscess, etc. The good news is that most heal without too much trouble, as long as you do what you’re supposed to, but it may take a little while. They generally want them to heal from the inside out instead of just suturing or stapling it back up. They call this “healing by secondary intention”. They do this because they tend to heal better and with no recurrence. Good luck!

[Tiempo]

That is a very scary word to nurses!

I know a certain trauma surgeon who says some call it chitlins on the bed

[NickieL]

Oh wow. I hope you heal fast! when mine burst they took it out laproscopically so my scars are small, thankfully. But I do have a big scar where they did my knee 12 years ago.

[MorrisonCorner]

Ok.. I am now officially scared witless.