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Recurring staph infection after ankle replacement.
I had a total knee revision in December 2024. Healed great. Total ankle replacement April 9, 2025. A pain pump was inserted to the nerve behind my knee (same leg total knee revision). Pain pump line site very tender when discharged 4/10/25. Pain pump line removed 4/14/25 at home. Pain pump site continued to be quite tender. Within 2 weeks the site continued to hurt. One morning I looked down at site and saw something that looked yellow, thought maybe flaking skin. Asked my d-i-l to look at it. She said , ‘no, it’s not loose skin, it looks very infected’. The next morning I started calling trying to get either an appointment or a prescription. Both my d-i-l and I called nurses and sent photos. Finally got a script for doxycycline. 11 days after completing that round of doxycycline I was given a second script. 13 days later I was seen by the physician assistant (surgeon on vacation).. He was concerned. Ran blood work and ultrasound. Before I got home (2 hour drive), the physician called me. Asked me to go to the hospital where I had my knee surgery. He had talked to my surgeon and he agreed to accept me. Admitted (6/21) for incision and drainage, Sent home on antibiotic. 7/8 follow with infectious disease. Sent to hospital for readmission. Incision and drain. Home I V antibiotics. In two weeks I have this wound looking horrible again. 8/13 admitted to hospital where my ankle surgery was done. Dr. Cut deeper. 3 incisions. Sent home on Amoxycillin and doxycycline. Getting stitches out in 2 days and it feels like (what they call a cyst) is back. Has anyone been through similar. They always culture. Nothing besides staph has shown up. I’m seriously considering the 10 hour drive to Mayo. I don’t think I can keep doing this. Anyone else had similar?
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Wow…it sounds awful what you are going thru. I hope your reaching out can help solve your problems. I also have a recurring staph infection where the culture comes back with staph only. My history: 5 years ago had my first knee replacement. No open cuts, except the knee was swollen for a long time and hard to bend….we tested and discovered i had a staph infection 2 years after the first surgery. Since then i have had 3 revisions and one wash out Also had two 6-8 weeks of iv drugs of vicomicin in between the surgeries. What is frustrating is that all of the fluid draws, which there have been many, shows staph and no other kinds of infections. There was bone damage when we did the wash out so I’m scheduled for a 5th surgery and another total revision in a few weeks. But i;m at my wits end as to why nothing shows but staph.