g-tube/MicKey button removal healing?

[moongazer]

Has anyone had a g-tube or MicKey button removed? How long did it take the site to heal? My DS is 9months and had his MicKey button removed about 6 weeks ago. He is still leaking A LOT. You can see the liquid running out most of the time. We have an appt with the surgeon in a week and she said if it wasn't healed by then, she would need to surgically close it. Of course I would like to avoid another surgery and hospital stay, but I am not sure if there is any hope of it closing on it's own if it hasn't by now.
Thanks for any info!

[Lindsay1234]

My dd 8 months has a mickey and from what I understand, it either closes, quickly, on its own, or its surgery. Her ped surgeon said that they dont wait very long after they take the button out.

Ill be waiting to hear others stories!

ETA: hers came out a few months ago and it only took an hour for it to get from a 12ml to a 10ml, they had to stretch it open the next appt and they said thats how fast it should be closing.

[Momily]

My son's didn't heal all the way -- it closed almost immediately down to a tiny tiny hole that would only leak if he had just drunk a lot and then laughed or cried hard. We had it closed about 7 months after it was pulled. The closure was fast and easy, but did require general anaesthesia.

My understanding is also that it closes in a matter of hours or it doesn't close at all.

[anj_rn]

IME....If it still leaks after 2 weeks it will need surgical closing. It usually closes within 24 hours. The closure is a fairly quick surgical procedure, but it will require general anesthesia. Depending on your child's other needs, it can be done in outpatient surgery.

[moongazer]

That's what I was afraid of. The surgeon said at least one night in the hospital. In the middle of flu season...yuck.
Thanks for your replies!

[Momily]

Moongazer,

I don't know how much yours is leaking, but I had the same concerns about my son's closure during Flu/RSV season, and so we ended up waiting and having it done literally 7 months after we pulled it.

He swam all summer with the hole, and did lots of other active things, but his shrunk really down so that there was almost no leaking.

[moongazer]

Yeah, I've been trying to decide if it would be worth it to wait. But he leaks A LOT. His skin is very sensitive so I can't use any kind of tape on it. I just use a cotton diaper doubler across his abdomen with a snug-fitting onesie to keep it in place. I am having to change him (doubler, onesie and outfit) about 6-8 times a day because he is soaked through. Even so, it is mostly an inconvenience at this point. His skin still looks good, he is staying hydrated and is not losing weight. Of course, he IS nursing 12+ times a day. I have a feeling that his surgeon will push to get it closed soon, though.
Thanks for the replies!

[jessehill]

Hi, my son got his mic-key button out 9 months ago and it hasn't closed and leaks alot. We are currently on a waiting list to get it surgically closed.  He is on losec to help the burning of his skin with the acidic stomach juices come out.  I use a special expensive barrier cream on the site 2 times a day and use a melolin square (10x10cm) against the site and then a 20cmx9cm combine dressing on top of that followed by a stretchy elastic thing to hold it all on.  It is a pain when it he wakes up in the morning with a wet singlet and pj's from it leaking.  And it smells like vomit!  

[Demmelition95]

i had my g-tube removed 2 years ago, in march. and by that october i developped a cyst or abcess on the scar. it healed at a quick rate too. so when i got the cyst, the doctor put this acid stuff on it after draining it and it healed. but now, over a year later, i have another cyst/abcess forming. and it hurts even more than the last one. whats happening? does it need surgery? is something wrong with the way it healed?  i'm only 17, and scared shitless.

[darthtunaqueen]

Dem, if it's hurting, it's probably another abcess.  Please go to your doc ASAP to get it drained and cleaned and sorted!  Since this isn't a medical community, no one can answer your question because we can't see it and we don't know your history/etc.  Please go see your doctor!  Abcesses hurt (I had one on my back from something unrelated), but they're fairly easy to deal with, since it's localized.  It's definitely annoying, but not (usually) life threatening, since you're older and I'm assuming not immunocompromised (meaning your immune system works decently well!)!  Warm compresses (washcloth as warm/hot as you can tolerate it) will help to increase blood flow to the area and bring any yuckies to the surface, but a doctor needs to help you clean it out.

Good luck!

[darthtunaqueen]

Dem, if it's hurting, it's probably another abcess.  Please go to your doc ASAP to get it drained and cleaned and sorted!  Since this isn't a medical community, no one can answer your question because we can't see it and we don't know your history/etc.  Please go see your doctor!  Abcesses hurt (I had one on my back from something unrelated), but they're fairly easy to deal with, since it's localized.  It's definitely annoying, but not (usually) life threatening, since you're older and I'm assuming not immunocompromised (meaning your immune system works decently well!)!  Warm compresses (washcloth as warm/hot as you can tolerate it) will help to increase blood flow to the area and bring any yuckies to the surface, but a doctor needs to help you clean it out.

Good luck!