gelfoam/wound healing?

[wolfak]

I would have it checked out - or at least call the office to let them know how it's progressing. It might be that your body is just slower at eliminating it.

On the other end of the spectrum, I dissolved my 3-day dissolving stitches from my wisdom teeth surgery in less than a day.

[NadiaMac]

I am updating this thread, since I periodically get PMs on this topic!

I did remove the gelfoam and that was a bad move. While the edges of the wound were healed (new skin and all), the deeper core of the wound was raw and open and gooey. Removing the gelfoam was both painful (the process) and exposed an open, painful wound. The finger was quite tender and painful (without the protective gelfoam cover) and I think the removal probably extended the healing time. Scarring did not seem to be impacted (the scar is barely visible at this point, which is good!)

[Selkie]

I wish the ER would have put this stuff in a dog bite wound I had in 2001 (a chunk taken out of my calf). It took two months to heal---doctor would not stitch it because it might seal in infection. I had it covered with a big bandage all that time and as a result, developed an allergy to the bandage adhesive. While it was interesting to watch the healing progress, new tissue, fat layer, and skin grow, it would have been better to have some better protection for the wound. Something that promoted healing. Got a big scar to match the teeth marks (puncture wounds) on the front of my calf.

[jessmarimba]

They used something like that to glue my back shut after surgery. Fortunately, I couldn't pick at it, but the doctor did eventually end up peeling a bunch of stuff off (4 weeks later) that my body had eventually rejected. I was more than happy to have him do it instead of me, though I felt kind of like an animal being groomed (ewww).