Anyone ever had to use a wound vac? I had surgery a month ago and after 2 infections I am now starting wound vac therapies. Just seeing if anyone had any experience with it- and what should I expect.
Anyone ever had to use a wound vac? I had surgery a month ago and after 2 infections I am now starting wound vac therapies. Just seeing if anyone had any experience with it- and what should I expect.
pomegranate / 3791 posts
My mom had one for about a month and I had to learn how to use it, change the dressing, etc. Not going to lie, it was kind of gross and the tubes can be annoying/make you nervous about them being pulled on, but it did its job and without it she likely would've been in the hospital much longer. I imagine it largely depends on the kind of injury/surgery though. For her I know there was some pain when we would have to re-dress it, but that it certainly not the case for everyone - she was in a bad car accident and had many surgeries, rods put in her arm, a skin graft, etc.
They should explain everything when they put it on you and show you how to use it, but I'd just make sure you ask lots of questions if there's anything you're unsure of and I recommend having someone else with you in case you need help or forget something. Stuff like how often to change the dressing and empty the machine, what to do during showers, etc., varies a lot.
pear / 1770 posts
My mom also had one for a couple months. Like @wonderstruck said, it was kinda gross and cumbersome, but it's pretty effective given the alternatives. Good luck!
nectarine / 2631 posts
@wonderstruck: Thanks for responding! I am luckily(?) having a visiting nurse come in 3 days a week to do the dressing changing etc. I am pretty nervous about it... aka what are my kids going to do while this is happening, how will this affect me working/teaching, will I be able to wear regular clothes. I am hoping its only for a short amount of time!
pomegranate / 3791 posts
@cheert16: that's good! She had a nurse too that came to the house, it's still just good to know how just in case. Where is your incision? She wore a lot of button up shirts to make things easier with the tubing. It has a case you carry it around in with a shoulder strap. The sound can occasionally be a bit obnoxious when the case isn't there to muffle it. You get used to it though. But if you're teaching I'd imagine you'll want to set it down sometimes just to give yourself a break. The tubes are pretty long, so you can put it on your desk, a chair next to you, etc.
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