Post-Cesarean Incision Issues: Causes, Healing, and Risks

Question
On 7-7-04 had a c-section.  My first and only child.  The incision kept weeping, we had to pack it 3 times a day.  What was this caused by?  I asked my dr. she said, that it was just bad luck, and usually only happens to overweight people,I weighed 158 when I delivered.  What is the chance of it happening again?  I also developed a strep infection in my urinary tract. Thanks, Nicole

Answer
Hi Nicole,

First of all, just because it happened once, doesn't mean that it will happen again, so don't get discouraged.  There are a number of reasons why your incision kept weeping after surgery.  You probably developed an infection in your incision that caused it to drain and heal improperly.  That is the most likely scenario.  The strep in your urinary tract was most likely caused by having a foley catheter in your bladder.  Sometimes, as sterile as we try to keep it when we put it in, bacteria gets introduced into the urinary tract.  I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.