| There are various types of surgical procedures. Of | | | | dry for the first 72 to 96 hours. |
| these, the more common are appendectomy, | | | | Afterwards, daily cleaning and bandage replacement |
| cesarean section, episiotomy, hysterectomy, and | | | | must be performed as required. When doing so, one's |
| laparoscopy. In the area of plastic surgeries, breast | | | | hands must always be washed with soap and water. |
| augmentation, rhinoplasty, and liposuction are three of | | | | The dressing must also be clean and |
| the most popular procedures today. During a surgery, | | | | contaminant-free-you want to keep the wound clean |
| the surgeon basically makes an incision on the area | | | | and not introduce things that could cause an infection. |
| and after performing the necessary procedure, closes | | | | Depending on the wound closure, the doctor may also |
| it off using various methods. The varying ways with | | | | advice that daily bandage replacement be foregone as |
| which doctors close a surgical wound will now serve | | | | long as the area has been checked. In cases when |
| as the most important consideration in proper wound | | | | the doctor used dissolvable sutures, ideally, these |
| management. | | | | should gradually disappear from one to three weeks |
| Different Types of Wound Closures | | | | and minimal management could be performed in such |
| With advancements in this area of medical practice, | | | | a case. As for non-dissolvable stitches, these should |
| various technologies have been applied in closing off | | | | be removed by the GP. |
| surgical wounds. In the old days, only sutures were | | | | Problems and Other Concerns |
| used for this purpose, nowadays, doctors have also | | | | The major problem associated with improper sound |
| begun using clips, staples, and skin glue. Some of these | | | | care is infection. Some of the tell-tale signs of infection |
| may be used to close off the muscle tissues and the | | | | include excessive pain in the affected area, blood or |
| rest used to close off the skin layer. Depending on the | | | | pus discharge, unpleasant odor, and swelling and |
| wound, a doctor may also prefer using a combination | | | | extreme redness. If these are observed, contact your |
| of these. In case a doctor used staples or sutures, | | | | GP immediately and schedule an appointment. If a |
| removing them should be painless, depending on the | | | | patient has diabetes, know that it could also effect the |
| proper wound care you have performed. | | | | healing period he or she must undergo. |
| Proper Wound Care | | | | Another problem, although a minor one, is itching. In |
| Post-operation, the wound will be covered by bandage | | | | such cases the wound must not be scratched at all |
| to alleviate pressure and protect it from contaminants | | | | costs. If the itch proves to be too be unbearable, a |
| that could infect the wound. The surgical dressing is | | | | doctor can prescribe a topical cream to alleviate the |
| normally removed after the first day. Having a nurse or | | | | discomfort. |
| doctor remove the surgical dressing after the first day | | | | Understanding proper wound care is certainly the best |
| and checking if the wound looks like how it should is an | | | | way to ensure that any surgical wound heals well and |
| important step in ensuring proper healing. This is also | | | | on time. |
| why it is important that the wound be kept clean and | | | | |