How to treat the wound after removing the stitches?

The consequence of any operation is wounds and sutures, the care of which requires special attention. The speed of rehabilitation and the quality of tissue repair depend on how carefully the patient follows the doctor's recommendations. It is important to adhere to the correct drinking regimen, have a good rest, take all prescribed pills for wound healing after surgery, visit the treatment room for timely wound dressing. Physiotherapeutic methods and traditional medicine will also come to the rescue.

Stages of wound healing

The process of appearance and healing of a wound is a complex of cellular changes and general reactions of the body that provide the process of recovery and healing. M.N. Kuzin in 1977 created a classification in which he describes the phases of healing of postoperative wounds. They are the following:

1. phase of inflammation. It consists of a period of vascular changes and cleaning the wound from necrosis products. At this time, there is a spasm of blood vessels, which is replaced by their expansion. The blood flow becomes slower, the permeability of the vessel wall increases. This provokes traumatic edema. On the one hand, edema is a way to cleanse the wound of dead tissues, on the other hand, it is the reason for the appearance of hypoxia and impaired microcirculation. The action of inflammation products, developing edema and tissue damage are the causes of a pronounced pain syndrome. To make this period as easy as possible, you need to understand how to treat wounds after surgery.
2. regeneration phase. Granulation tissue begins to develop. It consists mainly of fibroblasts and capillaries, which form collagen fibers and connective tissue substances. It is important that the initial stages of tissue formation may be accompanied by necrosis. This is an occasion to treat the healing process during this period with particular attention. Later, the process of transformation of granulation tissue into connective scar tissue begins.
3. The phase of scarring and epithelialization. At this stage, no new granulations are formed. The number of vessels and cell elements decreases, and the granulation tissue is replaced by collagen fibers arranged horizontally. The cells of the basal layer of the skin produce the epithelium. If you know how to treat the wound after removing the stitches, the result of scarring will be very good.

Materials and processing methods

The success of wound healing depends on the functioning of the body. For someone, the wound heals quickly after the operation, for someone it bothers even after the main healing process has passed. The main success depends on how carefully the patient treats his health and follows the recommendations of the doctor.

The healing time of a postoperative wound depends on:

• sterility of operations performed with the wound;
• the quality of the materials used to treat the wound;
• the regularity of postoperative suture processing.

Sterility is the first and most important requirement for wound care after surgery. Hands must be thoroughly washed before the procedure. It will be useful to use special disinfectants. It will be useful to know how to treat the wound after removing the stitches. Depending on the type of wound, as an antiseptic, you can use:

• a solution of potassium permanganate (do not get carried away by increasing the dosage, otherwise you can get burned);
• iodine (only in small amounts, so as not to cause dryness of the skin)4
• brilliant green;
• medical alcohol;
• fukortsin (extreme caution should be exercised, since this wound healing agent is poorly washed off surfaces after surgery);
• hydrogen peroxide (may cause burning);
• anti-inflammatory drugs, ointments, gels.

The use of these funds can be independent. When using some drugs, you need to consult a doctor.

Wound healing after surgery is not a very fast process. In order for it to deliver a minimum of inconvenience, and complications do not arise, certain rules should be followed:

1. Disinfection. Hands and tools must be carefully processed.
2. Accuracy. Remove the stuck bandage very carefully. Before treating a wound after surgery, you can moisten it with hydrogen peroxide and wait a few seconds. It is absolutely impossible to tear off dry crusts and growths from the wound. They must fall off on their own.
3. Safety. Each time at the time of bandaging, the wound must be treated with an antiseptic using a cotton swab or swab. It would be useful to carefully examine the wound for the presence of inflammation. If it is suspected, a doctor should be consulted. To exclude complications and the development of infection, the optimal frequency with which the wound should be treated after surgery is twice a day.
4. Protection. Each time after treatment, the wound must be closed by applying one or another type of dressing. The shower must be taken carefully. If the wound cannot yet be wetted, this requirement should be observed.

Wound healing methods

The first method that is used to heal the surgical wound is surgical. It includes such manipulations as surgical treatment of a postoperative wound, suturing. Along with it, surgeons resort to:

• antibiotic therapy;
• installation of drainage;
• the use of narcotic drugs;
• the use of regeneration stimulants;
• immunotherapy;
• the use of vitamin and mineral complexes, hormonal preparations.

The answer to the question of how to speed up wound healing after surgery is simple. Physiotherapy is very effective in recovery. Its main tasks in this process are as follows:

• suppress the development of pathogenic organisms;
• prevent the appearance of unwanted inflammation;
• slow down the process of rejection of dead tissues;
• relieve pain;
• stimulate tissue regeneration;
• form scars, the size of which will be minimal.

The choice of the method of physiotherapy must be made taking into account the phase of wound healing. If this is the beginning of a process, then an uninfected wound may become infected. To avoid this, prescribe physical methods of treatment. They stimulate the immune system, limit the manifestations of swelling and inflammation. In the second phase, it is recommended to use methods that will stimulate vasoconstriction and accelerate regeneration. At the last stage of healing, the choice of method should be determined by the type of scar to be formed. In general, physiotherapy is not always used in the third stage of wound healing.

Most often, physiotherapy is prescribed starting from the second day of wound healing. After suturing, a lot of time should not pass, because there is a need for cleansing from pus. It is important to know how to treat the wound after surgery. To do this, before the procedure of physical treatment, bactericidal drugs are used, as well as immunomodulators and necrolytics. If the wound is large and the pain is severe, you can use painkillers.

Basic rules for self-treatment

Treatment of wounds after surgery at home requires special attention. When attempting to heal the seam yourself, maximum caution should be exercised. Each type of wound requires treatments and medicines that are suitable only for it. The main rules that must be observed in any case:

1. In no case should you stop bleeding on your own, especially if the postoperative wound is stab or incised. Bleeding is a way to clear bacteria. If this does not happen, infectious inflammation may develop. If the wound is deep, bleeding is still necessary.
2. Do not touch the wound with your hands. This is a way to introduce an infection into it. The result will be a long healing, suppuration, sepsis. In some cases, this can cost lives.
3. Treatment of the wound after removal of sutures requires the use of antiseptics. Even if outwardly the wound heals well, it must be disinfected.

What to do in case of complications

Often, with insufficient care, with non-compliance with the recommendations, or due to weakened immunity, the wound begins to bother. The process of inflammation of the seam is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• puffiness;
• redness of the seam area;
• the appearance of a seal that can be easily felt with your fingers;
• increased body temperature and, in some cases, blood pressure;
• muscle pain;
• general weakness.

Regardless of how many symptoms occur at the same time, the causes may be as follows:

• infection in the wound;
• trauma to the subcutaneous tissue and, as a result, the formation of hematomas;
• increased reaction of tissues to the suture material;
• poor drainage in overweight patients;
• the patient does not know how to treat the wound after surgery;
• weak immunity.

In many cases, factors that provoke inflammation of the postoperative suture can be combined. They can occur due to a surgeon's mistake made during surgical treatment, due to the patient's inattention or negligence in the implementation of hygiene procedures, due to an infection that is not associated with the wound, but affects its healing.

In addition to these factors, the condition of the wound can be affected by the weight of the patient, since healing in obese patients is a more complex and lengthy process. This is often associated with high blood sugar levels. Age is also important. The older a person becomes, the slower the process of regeneration of body tissues occurs.

To ensure rapid healing, nutrition should be normalized. The body must receive a sufficient amount of protein and vitamins, because the lack of these substances adversely affects the recovery process.

If, nevertheless, it was not possible to avoid inflammation, you should not engage in self-treatment. Seeing a doctor is a guarantee that the process can be stopped. A specialist in the presence of violations in the process of tissue repair will do the following:

• remove the stitches and wash the wound;
• install a device for removing fluid and pus - drainage;
• will prescribe additional means of external use.

Only the diligence of the patient himself can prevent the occurrence of serious complications during the healing of postoperative wounds. He must know how to treat the wound after the operation. If you treat the duties of caring for the seam negligently, you can get septic blood poisoning or even gangrene. It is mandatory to process the suture, not to wet during the period specified by the doctor, to take vitamins for wound healing after surgery, to diversify the diet and change dressings in time. If everything is done correctly, the wound will heal quickly and without complications.

Wound healing after surgery - video