Surgical wound care Pokanga kiri me te whakaora taotū
There are several things you can do to look after your wound after surgery. Taking good care of your wound and your general health will lower your risk of infection and encourage healing.
Looking after your wound site
There are things you should and should not do when taking care of your wound. It is also important to keep an eye out for any problems, such as signs of infection.
Wounds are closed with stitches (sometimes called sutures), metal clips, staples or glue. What is used will depend on the type of surgery, the type of wound and the area of your body.
- Do not pull the stitches, clips, or staples.
- Dissolvable stitches usually disappear in 1 to 3 weeks.
- Non-dissolvable stitches are usually removed after 3 to 14 days. You will be told when and where they will be removed.
- Clips and staples are usually removed after 3 to 14 days depending on what surgery you have had.
- Glue may be used on smaller wounds and does not need removing. It usually peels off by itself in 5 to 10 days. You should try to keep the wound dry for about 5 days. Do not pick the glue off.
A dressing protects the wound until it has healed and stops any stitches or clips from catching on your clothing. It also provides ideal conditions for healing and absorbs any leakage. Not all wounds need dressings.
You will be told if your wound needs any further dressings. It is important that you do not remove your dressing unless you are told to.
Some swelling is normal. If your wound seems very swollen or the swelling is getting worse or causing problems, contact the surgery or clinic where you had your operation or procedure. It it is outside their opening hours, contact an after-hours medical service.
If your wound bleeds, press a clean cloth on the area for 15 minutes. Slowly release the pressure to check if the bleeding has stopped. If it keeps bleeding, reapply firm pressure.
If it does not stop bleeding, contact the surgery or clinic where you had your operation or procedure. If it is outside their opening hours, contact an after-hours medical service.
Keep an eye out for any infection. Signs that your wound may have become infected include:
- increasing pain or tenderness
- increasing or spreading redness
- increasing fluid or pus from your wound.
If you think your wound could be infected, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.
Follow instructions given to you after your surgery for bathing and showering. You will be told when you can have a bath or shower. A shower is better than a bath.
You should not put any soap, shower gel, body lotion or talcum powder onto your wound.
Wound healing
You will see changes in the wound as it heals. It is normal to experience some of the following:
- stiffness and soreness, which will ease after a few days
- tingling, numbness or itching
- a slightly hard, lumpy feeling as new tissue forms
- a slight pulling around the stitches as the wound heals.
Do not pick off any scabs, as they protect the new tissue under the wound and act as nature's dressing. They will fall off on their own.
Wound infection
Most wounds heal without any problems. There is a higher risk of developing wound infections if you:
- smoke
- have diabetes
- have a poor immune system
- have had a major operation such as bowel surgery.
Pain relief
If you have had a local anaesthetic, the effects will wear off after 2 to 4 hours. You may need some pain relief. You can use the tablets that have been prescribed or you can take paracetamol.
Do not take aspirin for pain as it can cause bleeding in some people. But if you normally take an aspirin a day, do not stop unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
Look after your health
Taking good care of your health, including eating well and drinking plenty of fluids, will help your wound heal.
Some medical conditions can affect how easily your body can heal a wound. For example, if you have diabetes, an inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis or poor circulation, this can slow down your healing. Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can get your medical conditions under control. You want your overall health to be as good as it can.
Also talk to your healthcare provider about any medication you are taking. Some medications may affect how well you heal.
Do not stop any medicines unless your healthcare provider tells you to. You may need to keep taking them but with closer supervision.
It is important to eat well so you get all the nutrients your body needs to heal.
If you think you or your relative might not be eating well enough, talk to your healthcare provider. They may suggest how you can improve what you eat, prescribe you supplements or refer you to a dietitian.
It is important you drink plenty of fluids to help your wound heal. Drink at lest 8 cups of fluid a day.
Fluids to help your wound heal
When you are healing, you need good circulation to deliver all the oxygen and nutrients your wound needs to heal. Keeping mobile is important for healthy circulation. Gentle physical activity such as walking can help your wound to heal.
Standing in one place for long periods can slow healing.
When you are not walking around, keep your leg up as much as possible. You could put your leg on a footstool or lie on the sofa with your foot above the level of your heart. This helps to reduce swelling in your leg, which can help healing.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you get pain in your leg when it is raised, and it gets better when you lower it.
Smoking slows healing, so now is a good time to stop. If you would like help to stop, discuss this with your healthcare provider or pharmacist. You can also find lots of resources to help you stop smoking.
Lack of sleep can slow down healing. If you are having trouble sleeping, there are lots of things you can do to help you sleep better.
When the wound has healed
Gently massage a skin softening cream (called an emollient) on the healed area to help keep it soft and supple. Do this once or twice a day, for 2 to 3 months.
It is important to protect the healed area from the sun using clothing or a sunscreen.