Healing after surgery

[Brockp]

I have a Tosai Tancho Goshiki which had a clean split between two adjacent rays on its pectoral fin. (sorry no photos only one of me and only one pair of hands).

There were / are no signs of any infection.

I cleaned the andjacent area and sutured the two adjacent rays with 6/0 prolene the fish is fine and swimming around like a two year old should. I have three questions;

1) How long should I leave the suture in for?

2) What sort of cosmetic affect will be achieved in a year or two ?

3) Should I have just left it alone ?

Pete

[Duncan]

hi

i have a question did you make the two ajoining edges raw in other words make them bleed , if they were healed but still split they wont knit together

dunc

[Brockp]

Yep Duncan I "freshened" the edges" but being crtilage they didn't bleed a lot but I think was probably enough to stimulate release of the growth factors necessary to stimulate healing.
Pete

[Duncan]

good man then in this case i would say leave for one week/7-8 days and relieve the end suture see if healing has taken place

dunc

[Brockp]

Hi Dunc

Just like humans then......first suture out tonight when I get home.

Any body have any thoughts on what the fin will look like in a year or two ?

Pete

[Gazza]

Hi Pete,

Sounds like you have it all under control to me and i would imagine as long as you have some good summer heat and its all kept nice and clean in good water then the wound should heal very well

[Brockp]

Hi again.....outcomes are the only thing that matters;

Second sticych out tonight all looks fine except for a lopsided fish. I get the impression that the pectoral fins, because of their mechanics are often stretched wider than the others thus causing splits between the rays to widen quicker and should prompt earlier surgcical intervention...... whats the feeling in the team ?

Peter

[Duncan]

good man well done

i think with pec fins its just inherrant with the way they are used and their position in relation to thing brush against them

dunc