CPTAUSRET
01-23-2005, 11:39
I was having a discussion with TS a couple of days ago and I mentioned that after I was medevacced out of Vietnam in Oct of 66, I went to Andrews AFB, then on to Irwin Army Hospital at Ft Riley Kansas, for surgery.
When I was medevacced to the 3rd field hosp in Saigon, they decided that they didn't want to complete the procedure in country, so they debrided the wounds as much as possible, (I had two bullets enter my right forearm, skim alont the bone, and exit around the elbow) wrapped it , and put a cast on it. I was kept at the 3rd field for five days til my fever went down, after awhile the cast began to stink like hell from the blood seepage.
I finally arrived at Irwin Army Hospital and was scheduled for surgery the next day, the evening prior both my upper legs were shaved for the skin grafts which were scheduled the next day. The day of the operation, I was placed face down on a gurney, and a small curtain of some kind was placed over my arm above the wounds, so that I was unable to observe what was was going on. But I was able to hear the discussions very well, it was immediately observed that the skingrafts were not going to be able to span, or hold the extent of the injuries. then suturing materials were discussed, and it was decided that the only thing strong enough to hold it all together was piano wire, so a search was on for heavy duty "piano wire". Now, maybe it wasn't piano wire, but it sure looked like it, and felt like it. I was unable to wear anything over the sutures which might snag in the minefield of wires coming out of my arm.
Later when it was time to remove the sutures, I was asked if I wanted something to cover up the pain involved with the wire removal, I very stupidly refused, as I had been wounded before, and had on occasion removed some of my own sutures. How bad could it be? Afterall there were perhaps 45-47 sutures, what is the big deal?
Well I found out soon enough, with a normal suture you cut the end away from the knot and pull it through via the knotted end. These heavy guage "piano wire" sutures had formed a loop, and DID NOT straighten out when they pulled through the very tender flesh, it felt similar to pulling fish hooks through my arm.
My ex-wife was there during this removal procedure, and I didn't want to look like a wuss in front of her, but by the time they were finished my hosp pj's were completely soaked in sweat, and I was shaking like a dog.
When I told TS about the "piano wire" he looked incredulous, so I am throwing this out there to you guys. Has anyone other than me been sewn up with "piano wire"? Or have you heard about it occurring??
Terry
When I was medevacced to the 3rd field hosp in Saigon, they decided that they didn't want to complete the procedure in country, so they debrided the wounds as much as possible, (I had two bullets enter my right forearm, skim alont the bone, and exit around the elbow) wrapped it , and put a cast on it. I was kept at the 3rd field for five days til my fever went down, after awhile the cast began to stink like hell from the blood seepage.
I finally arrived at Irwin Army Hospital and was scheduled for surgery the next day, the evening prior both my upper legs were shaved for the skin grafts which were scheduled the next day. The day of the operation, I was placed face down on a gurney, and a small curtain of some kind was placed over my arm above the wounds, so that I was unable to observe what was was going on. But I was able to hear the discussions very well, it was immediately observed that the skingrafts were not going to be able to span, or hold the extent of the injuries. then suturing materials were discussed, and it was decided that the only thing strong enough to hold it all together was piano wire, so a search was on for heavy duty "piano wire". Now, maybe it wasn't piano wire, but it sure looked like it, and felt like it. I was unable to wear anything over the sutures which might snag in the minefield of wires coming out of my arm.
Later when it was time to remove the sutures, I was asked if I wanted something to cover up the pain involved with the wire removal, I very stupidly refused, as I had been wounded before, and had on occasion removed some of my own sutures. How bad could it be? Afterall there were perhaps 45-47 sutures, what is the big deal?
Well I found out soon enough, with a normal suture you cut the end away from the knot and pull it through via the knotted end. These heavy guage "piano wire" sutures had formed a loop, and DID NOT straighten out when they pulled through the very tender flesh, it felt similar to pulling fish hooks through my arm.
My ex-wife was there during this removal procedure, and I didn't want to look like a wuss in front of her, but by the time they were finished my hosp pj's were completely soaked in sweat, and I was shaking like a dog.
When I told TS about the "piano wire" he looked incredulous, so I am throwing this out there to you guys. Has anyone other than me been sewn up with "piano wire"? Or have you heard about it occurring??
Terry