WLE scar doesn’t seem right
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WLE scar doesn’t seem right

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › WLE scar doesn’t seem right

  • Post
    • October 6, 2017 at 12:28 am
    Dave63
    Participant

      I had a WLE to remove melanoma and plastic surgeon used dissolvable stitches under and on top of incision. This was 3 weeks ago.  The scar has started leaking a pink fluid and internal stitches are coming through. I pulled on what I thought was a scab and 2 inches of stitches came out. It seems like the surface healed up ok but it feels like there is a big hole under the skin. Is this normal?  I have never had this done but it seems like the stitches under the skin didn’t hold. I had BCC removed from my face on the same day and was stitched up the same way and it healed fine.

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        • October 6, 2017 at 1:05 am
        jennunicorn
        Participant

          I've never had dissolvable stitches but it doesn't sound normal to me. I would call them right away if they have an after hours number nurse line or call first thing in the morning so they can see you to look at it.

            • October 6, 2017 at 1:43 am
            Dave63
            Participant

              Thanks Jenn I will.  I know scars aren’t pretty to begin with but this one is purplish and ugly. I’ll be going in tomorrow to have surgeon check it. I use the VA and was never discharged with any aftercare instructions on wound care so I just left strips on for week and half. It’s just strange when you push on it there is nothing under the skin.

              • October 6, 2017 at 3:09 am
              jennunicorn
              Participant

                They definitely should have given you after care instructions. Hopefully it isn't infected. Keep us posted.

              • October 6, 2017 at 11:28 am
              Threefitty
              Participant

                First, echoing Jenn's comment. Call surgeon, insist now.

                Second, I had several annoying pieces of partially undissolved stiches. My scar isn't exactly smooth and is puckered at both ends – which was explained adequately by the surgeon at the time.

                3.50 (a Dave62 model)

                 

                  • October 6, 2017 at 3:18 pm
                  Jamie1960
                  Participant

                    +1 on Dave and Jenn's comments. Over multiple procedures, I've never seen any evidence of the internal sutures, nor significant draining beyond day 3. Get it checked.

                     

                    • October 7, 2017 at 2:14 am
                    Dave63
                    Participant

                      Thanks everyone,

                      I saw 2 nurses today and one seemed concerned and the other said it looked ok but was a little surprised when it had been 3 weeks since procedure and was still leaking. Life in the VA…lol.  It’s just been hard ever since the melanoma diagnosis. I’m now dealing with a kidney lesion, bone lesion and opacities in both lungs and several other strange moles. I’m meeting with an actual dermatologist on the 17th to have those addressed.

                      • October 7, 2017 at 2:27 am
                      jennunicorn
                      Participant

                        Did you get antibiotics? This melanoma stuff is a lot to deal with, let alone having to deal with complications of an excision. 

                        • October 7, 2017 at 2:39 am
                        Dave63
                        Participant

                          Got nothing but to keep an eye on it and if doesn’t change to call back for follow up. I see a dermatologist on the 17th and will definitely have him look at it. It can be a little overwhelming at times, now tests that used to be typical aren’t any longer.  Had MRI and because I had cancer, they now have to use a dye at the end to check for any lesions or signs that cancer hasn’t spread.

                          • October 7, 2017 at 2:48 am
                          jennunicorn
                          Participant

                            If it doesn't get better by Monday then I would go back in and ask for some antibiotics, I don't like the idea of you possibly having an infection and it continuing to get worse. Having a cancer diagnosis on your health history can definitely change some approaches docs have with you now.

                            • December 28, 2017 at 8:00 am
                            QuietPoet
                            Participant

                              It may be a bit late for this reply, but may help future people reading this…it's possible to allergic to the little strips they put on your WLE incision. I am apparently sensitive to this, which irritated the already cut-into skin and made healing take FOREVER. It also began to get infected because of the rawness of it. Once they took those things off, I just kept a larger bandage over it with that kind of sports wrap tape that sticks to itself. That really helped protect everything and let it heal. Even then, I would get some little spots after which little sutures came out, but nothing like you described. However, since the site is on my thigh, one day I could feel the internal stitches rip a bit when I was kneeling down to do a household chore that I shouldn't have been doing yet. So my point is, protect it, see if if it's possible you could be allergic to the strips, and take it easy. Depending on the location, it can really take a while to recover. It's been five months now since my WLE, and the scar is FINALLY looking normal. Now if I can only avoid a biopsy on this mole that's changing on my right thigh….

                            • October 7, 2017 at 2:57 am
                            TexMelanomex
                            Participant

                              I think you are getting solid advice here, when in doubt check it out! I wil say that my WLE which also entailed a skin graft was very uncomfortable and drained for almost a month…then they applied a scabbing agent and it drained for another few weeks before the scab finally just came off…but I didnt see that you mentioned anything about a skin graft so my experience may not be relevant. What you describe sounds more like what happend at my skin graft donor site (back of thigh) and it opened up well after a week and half because it was infected and did not heal properly (literally a hole under the skin) so again, yes please get it checked out to make sure.

                              Tex

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