Infection questions

[BuffaloMaxx]

My assumption there was 2 sources for infection. Something getting in during surgery and the stitches. My stitches look great, no redness or swelling at day 9. I’ve been taking 2 baths a day and scrubbing the incision in a shower afterwards. I’ve been religiously taking the antibiotics.

- at what point are to in the clear?
- is there another source of infection that would impact the implant that I’m missing? Down the urethra a concern?


I’m calling Dr Eid tomorrow along with a couple of other questions, but was laying in the tub and wanted to post here

[LeRoastBeef]

I was very gentle around the stitches. I certainly wouldn't 'scrub them'.

[AST2123]

Yes. You don't need to scrub. They will fall on their own.
One stitch for me fell after about 2 months. It was annoying for me to touch, but I just didn't want to mess anything.
On the other side, I am also wondering if someone can get an infection after completely healing from the surgery. Are there any cases?

[Macdawgg]

Well Gents-the answer to the question is YES you can get an infection and the reason I know is because I got one!!! What happened to me is after about three months -one day I was taking a nap and started to get this chill and when I awoke I was freezing! so I thought perhaps it was because I had the A/C turned down to low. So I raised it to 80 and I was still freezing, So I turned the A/C off and it was 85 in the house and 90 outside and I'm still freezing so bad I had to grab a blanket. Well I noticed that my scrotum had swollen to the size of a baseball and I could feel this mass of tissue inside my scrotum. I called my dr and he suggested going in surgery so he could take a look, well afterwards he said I indeed had an infection and he removed the device but left the rods in place. A culture was sent off to the lab which confirmed the infection and I'm on antibotics for the next month(30 days) He wants to make sure it's gone before putting the implant back in me. I'm scheduled to have surgery the 26th of Oct. (earliest he could get me in) so I'll update the group once this 3rd surgery I'm having in less than a year is over with.

[LeRoastBeef]

Coincidance an be a bastard.

About an hour after posting here, I noticed a hard thing on my scrotum. It was a tick. It wasn't there last night, because I religiously check up on things.
I immediately pulled the bastard out.
It was a good bit away from the incision. The stitiching has all gone...I think, it is now 5 weeks post op.

I did not need that though, of all the places. Worried about infection. Ticks are bastards regadless of where they latch on.

[tomas1]

LRB, do you live in an area that has Lyme disease?

[BuffaloMaxx]

Well Gents-the answer to the question is YES you can get an infection and the reason I know is because I got one!!! What happened to me is after about three months -one day I was taking a nap and started to get this chill and when I awoke I was freezing! so I thought perhaps it was because I had the A/C turned down to low. So I raised it to 80 and I was still freezing, So I turned the A/C off and it was 85 in the house and 90 outside and I'm still freezing so bad I had to grab a blanket. Well I noticed that my scrotum had swollen to the size of a baseball and I could feel this mass of tissue inside my scrotum. I called my dr and he suggested going in surgery so he could take a look, well afterwards he said I indeed had an infection and he removed the device but left the rods in place. A culture was sent off to the lab which confirmed the infection and I'm on antibotics for the next month(30 days) He wants to make sure it's gone before putting the implant back in me. I'm scheduled to have surgery the 26th of Oct. (earliest he could get me in) so I'll update the group once this 3rd surgery I'm having in less than a year is over with.

I read your other post about this. This freaks me out. Any idea on the cause?

Also, Silvia from Eids office verbatim told me to scrub the sutures with soap and water. I used my hand, not a cloth or brush. I didn’t scrub hard enough to cause pain or even discomfort, but fairly firm the first few days and soon after I gave it a thorough scrub. The sutures look great, no discoloration at this point.

I had major knee surgery and that surgeon (Zarins, the Patriots guy) had me do the same thing. Everything I’ve read that’s typical wound care. Soap and heavy irrigation. Don’t use any antiseptics, iodine, peroxide etc as they damage the skin and delay healing.

[Macdawgg]

Well Gents-the answer to the question is YES you can get an infection and the reason I know is because I got one!!! What happened to me is after about three months -one day I was taking a nap and started to get this chill and when I awoke I was freezing! so I thought perhaps it was because I had the A/C turned down to low. So I raised it to 80 and I was still freezing, So I turned the A/C off and it was 85 in the house and 90 outside and I'm still freezing so bad I had to grab a blanket. Well I noticed that my scrotum had swollen to the size of a baseball and I could feel this mass of tissue inside my scrotum. I called my dr and he suggested going in surgery so he could take a look, well afterwards he said I indeed had an infection and he removed the device but left the rods in place. A culture was sent off to the lab which confirmed the infection and I'm on antibotics for the next month(30 days) He wants to make sure it's gone before putting the implant back in me. I'm scheduled to have surgery the 26th of Oct. (earliest he could get me in) so I'll update the group once this 3rd surgery I'm having in less than a year is over with.

I read your other post about this. This freaks me out. Any idea on the cause?

Also, Silvia from Eids office verbatim told me to scrub the sutures with soap and water. I used my hand, not a cloth or brush. I didn’t scrub hard enough to cause pain or even discomfort, but fairly firm the first few days and soon after I gave it a thorough scrub. The sutures look great, no discoloration at this point.

I had major knee surgery and that surgeon (Zarins, the Patriots guy) had me do the same thing. Everything I’ve read that’s typical wound care. Soap and heavy irrigation. Don’t use any antiseptics, iodine, peroxide etc as they damage the skin and delay healing.

No not sure what the cause was but I was told the infection rate was low and I happened to be one of the lucky ones. He's going to cut above the penis this time and go in to put the device back in.

[wunhunglo]

Dr. Eid’s sutures are water tight after 24 - 48 hours. The sutures to be removed are at a different layer of the skin. I don’t recall being told to scrub the scrotum—just clean and pat dry and don’t pull at the glue as it will fall away naturally.

[Agfa13]

I got this from somewhere here on FT, but...
8-80 infection rate study.
...If you get a infection after just 8 weeks from a surgery it's a 80% chance it originated in the Operating room.