Surgical wounds are a necessary part of the surgery, but unfortunately, they don’t always heal as quickly as they should. At Rocky Mountain Wound Care Specialists in Loveland, Colorado, foremost certified wound care physician Amy Pate, MD, MPH, CWSP, offers expert surgical wound care. Call the office or book your appointment through online scheduling today to learn how you can heal in a safe office-based environment.
Surgical wounds occur during surgery. Surgeons create incisions to access the part of the body requiring removal or repair and then close the incision with stitches or strips afterwards.
Surgical wounds can range from tiny incisions to many inches long, and the location can be virtually anywhere on the body.
Most surgical wounds heal naturally over the weeks and months following surgery. But, any skin opening has the potential for healing difficulties. Around 2-4% of patients who have inpatient surgery experience surgical site infections every year.
Some of the signs that a surgical wound isn’t healing well and requires advanced wound care are:
You’re more likely to experience difficulty healing after surgery if you have uncontrolled diabetes, weak immunity, struggle with your weight, or smoke. Longer surgeries (over two hours) also increase the risk of a slow-healing or nonhealing surgical wound. The risk of surgical site complications also increases as you age.
Surgical incisions that don’t heal properly significantly increase your risk of infection, which can then cause serious problems for your general health.
Because a severe infection can destroy skin and the structures underneath it, patients who don’t receive advanced wound therapy could eventually need an amputation. However, starting wound healing treatments promptly when symptoms can help you avoid this.
At Rocky Mountain Wound Care Specialists, Dr. Pate designs a personalized surgical wound healing plan just for you. While your specific therapies depend on the size, location, and depth of the wound, some of the main treatments include:
You might need a couple of treatments, such as compression therapy and offloading along with biological therapy like Epifix, to create the most optimal environment for wound bed healing. All treatments are in the office versus a hospital-based wound care center, so it saves you money and time. Plus, you’re always guaranteed to see your doctor during treatments.
If your surgical wound isn’t healing like expected, call Rocky Mountain Wound Care Specialists or click the online scheduler now.