Surgical wounds are vulnerable to infection and dehiscence. Surgeons create small, sterile incisions and close them with stitches. Patients must monitor their wounds for signs of infection and change bandages. Follow-up visits are necessary to monitor progress and remove stitches.
A surgical wound is a wound associated with a surgical site. Surgical wounds are a point of vulnerability for patients recovering from surgery, as infectious material can enter the wound and cause complications. Additionally, surgical sites sometimes experience a phenomenon called wound dehiscence, where the incision reopens due to poor healing or tension on the stitches. Surgical wound management is an important part of post-surgical care for patients, both in the hospital and while they are staying at home.
When surgeons make an incision, they carefully place it to access the area of the body they are interested in, keeping the surgical wound as small as possible. In endoscopic procedures, very small surgical wounds are created, with just enough space to introduce cameras and instruments. Open surgeries require a larger incision to allow the surgeon to clearly view the inside of the body.
Surgical wounds are created in a sterile environment. Every part of the incision process is controlled to limit the risks of infection, with the surgeon using sterile tools and keeping the wound clean during the incision. Once the surgery is complete, the wound is closed with stitches. The stitches can extend several layers into the body, depending on the depth of the surgery and where the surgeon operated. The patient is usually given prophylactic drugs to prevent infectious organisms from gaining a foothold in the surgical wound.
During your recovery, your surgical wound will be checked regularly for any signs of inflammation, infection, and other complications. In the hospital, the nursing staff will periodically change the patient’s bandages, carefully inspecting the wound during the dressing changes. Look for warning signs such as warmth, swelling, openness between stitches, unpleasant odors, and color change. In some cases, drains will be placed in the surgical wound to allow fluids to drain while the patient recovers. Surgical drains are also checked during dressing changes for warning signs of infection.
Once patients are sent home, they are responsible for caring for their surgical wounds. They are usually directed at keeping the wound clean and dry, changing bandages periodically, and inspecting the wound when changing dressings. Periodic follow-up visits will be made so that the surgeon can monitor progress and eventually remove the stitches. Absorbable sutures can be used, but often these sutures take so long to dissolve that the surgeon may go ahead and remove them once the patient’s surgical site has healed.
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