Wound dehiscence, defined as significant wound breakdown which results in delayed healing (greater than 2 weeks),16 remains one of the most common complications after a breast reduction procedure.
Superficial dehiscence usually just requires washing out the wound with saline and then simple wound care (e.g. packing the wound with absorbent ribbon gauze). The patient should be advised the wound will now be required to heal by secondary intention and that this can take several weeks.
Dressing changes will be needed in order to allow the wounds to heal and these wounds may take several weeks to heal following surgery. If the opening is wide along the length of the incision (and not deep), wash the affected area with soap and water. Next, apply Vaseline or Neosporin and cover with gauze.
The three phases include inflammation, proliferation, and maturation.
Even minor wound disruption needs to be treated right away to keep it from getting worse. An open wound is easily infected, and infection can lead to further separation. Complete wound dehiscence is a medical emergency, as it can lead to evisceration, where internal organs protrude through the wound.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can help reduce the potential complications of wound dehiscence. Hyperbaric wound care is a safe, natural, and efficient medical therapy for wounds that may need additional support to properly heal. It uses 100% oxygen to stimulate accelerated healing capabilities within the body.
Wash the area daily with warm water, and pat it dry. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the area with a gauze bandage if it weeps or rubs against clothing.
Should you notice an opening along your wound (this usually occurs around 2-4 weeks after your surgery), do not be alarmed: usually it is not an infectious process but it is caused by choking off of your small vessels because of the stretching and tension placed on your skin and tissues.
Dehiscence and evisceration can be a life threatening emergency; do not leave the client immediately call for help and, using a clean, sterile towel or sterile saline dampened dressing, cover the wound. Under no circumstance should reinserting the organs be attempted.
Research has found that one of the most predictive risk factors for dehiscence is surgical site infection. Surgical incisions have a higher chance of opening if the wound becomes infected.
For a dehisced wound, a patient should return for medical care immediately. This may include debridement, antibiotic therapy and resuturing or use of another type of wound closure device. Following this treatment, the wound will need to be monitored extremely closely for signs of recurring dehiscence.
Abdominal wound dehiscence (burst abdomen, fascial dehiscence) is a severe postoperative complication, with mortality rates reported as high as 45% [1–3]. The incidence, as described in the literature, ranges from 0.4% to 3.5% [4–17]. Abdominal wound dehiscence can result in evisceration, requiring immediate treatment.
A dehisced wound can appear fully open – the tissue underneath is visible – or it can be partial, where just the top portion of the skin has torn open. The wound could be red around the wound margins, have drainage, or it could be bleeding or seeping, where only a thin trickle of blood is coming out.
Some common symptoms of dehiscence are: Broken sutures that don't heal. Bleeding from wound and bleeds at the surgical wound entry points. Fever.
Some symptoms of necrosis of the breast skin include the skin turning dark blue or black and eventually developing scabs and/or open wounds. You also may run a fever or feel sick. It's important to work with your care team to make sure you get the proper treatment for necrosis.
T-junction breakdown is one of the most common complications following breast reduction or breast lift surgery. This occurs when there is delayed wound healing in the area where the vertical and horizontal suture lines meet, at the base of the breast.
Most scars fade or blend in with your natural skin tone and you can cover them with clothing. Your breast reduction scars may change: After six weeks: You'll likely have a bandage on your scar for several weeks to protect your surgical site, so you may not notice how your skin is healing.
This can worsen the appearance of breast reduction scars and damage the final results of your surgery. Lifting heavy weight after the surgery will mainly place unnecessary tension on the chest, which can be painful and cause further swelling and bruising.
It's important you get the rest you need after surgery as this is when your body recovers. Simply put, sleeping on your back keeps your breasts in an optimal position for healing. We therefore recommend you keep this position for eight to 12 weeks post-surgery.
Healing depends on your general health and the type of surgery you had. Large or deep surgery incisions can take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. People with medical problems or prescribed certain medications may take longer.
On the scene. To decrease intra-abdominal pressure and stress on the wound, you place Mr. Anderson supine in the low Fowler's position with his knees slightly bent and cover the wound with a saline-moistened, sterile gauze dressing.
If associated with superficial wound dehiscence, they can be treated by absorbent dressings such as alginate dressing. Fluid should be sent for culture and sensitivity, and antibiotics commenced empirically in the presence of systemic features of an infection, as mentioned previously.
Wound reopening: If sutures are removed too early, or if excessive force is applied to the wound area, the wound can reopen. The doctor may restitch the wound or allow the wound to close by itself naturally to lessen the chances of infection.