Kristin just had another surgery this week.  That makes 3 surgeries and 1 other procedure where she had to be put to sleep since October.  After her arthroscopic hip surgery in February, she experienced wound dehiscence, which is where the wound does not close up and heal properly.  This past Monday she had another surgery where they opened the wound  up all the way down to where it had not grown together.  It is around 6-6.5 cm (2-1/2  --  2-3/4 inches) deep and about 1 cm long on the surface.  It must heal from the inside out.  Right now we are irrigating, packing and dressing it twice a day (not pleasant for me or her).  They are doing cultures and we will find out if there is an infection and knowing that we can treat with the correct antibiotic.  We are walking a fine line between giving enough Cortef to cope with the surgical stress and resulting pain and not giving too much so that it would interfere with the healing process.  Prior to Kristin having this problem, I had not really heard of it or known anyone who had this complication.