It may be an indication of infection. Taking immediate remedial steps is necessary to avoid infection or any other side effects post the surgery. On meeting with any of the following signs, it is better to consult a doctor at once. If the skin around the wound gets swollen.
You might feel sharp, shooting pains in your wound area. This may be a sign that you're getting sensations back in your nerves. The feeling should become less intense and happen less often over time, but check with your doctor if you're concerned.
You can also hold an ice pack over your wound to reduce pain, swelling, and bruising. Place an ice pack on your wound for 15 to 20 minutes every hour or as told by your healthcare provider.
Most tears or episiotomies heal well, although it's normal to feel pain for two to three weeks.
Watch out for any signs of infection near or around the stitches, such as: swelling. increased redness around the wound. pus or bleeding from the wound.
If the skin around your wound is red, swollen, hot, painful, or leaking blood or pus, contact your doctor right away. Fever or red streaks around the wound are signs of infection that need to be addressed urgently. If your stitches pop open and you notice your wound pulling away, return to the doctor.
If you have sutures (stitches): -Apply Vaseline or Aquaphor healing ointment to the sutured site 3-4x/ day for the next three to four days. The ointment will help the wound heal more quickly and minimize scarring.
It is normal to feel pain or soreness for 2 to 3 weeks after having any tear. Here is more information about recovering from a perineal tear and looking after your stitches when you get home.
Most types should start to dissolve or fall out within a week or two, although it may be a few weeks before they disappear completely. Some may last for several months.
In general, the greater the tension across a wound, the longer the sutures should remain in place. As a guide, on the face, sutures should be removed in 5-7 days; on the neck, 7 days; on the scalp, 10 days; on the trunk and upper extremities, 10-14 days; and on the lower extremities, 14-21 days.
Wash with cool water and soap. Clean as close to the stitches as you can. Do not wash or rub the stitches directly. Dab the site dry with a clean paper towel.
To help the injured skin heal, use petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist. Petroleum jelly prevents the wound from drying out and forming a scab; wounds with scabs take longer to heal.
Yaakovian recommends leaving them dressed for two to three days. During this time, avoid getting the covering wet. Once you remove the dressing, you likely don't need to put anything else on your stitches — such as petroleum oil or antibiotic ointments.
After 48 hours, surgical wounds can get wet without increasing the risk of infection. After this time, you can get your stitches wet briefly with a light spray (such as in the shower), but they should not be soaked (for example, in the bath). Make sure you pat the area dry afterwards.
It is not uncommon for a surgical scar to hurt after an incision is healed. Scar tissue forms after surgery to heal a wound and can form internally or externally. This scar tissue can often cause pain due to a variety of reasons including an injury to the nerve.
Surgical wound infections may have pus draining from them and can be red, painful or hot to touch. You might have a fever and feel sick.
Caring for the Wound
Use a normal saline solution (salt water) or mild soapy water. Soak the gauze or cloth in the saline solution or soapy water, and gently dab or wipe the skin with it. Try to remove all drainage and any dried blood or other matter that may have built up on the skin.
Fill a syringe with salt water or soapy water, whichever your doctor recommends. Hold the syringe 1 to 6 inches (2.5 to 15 centimeters) away from the wound. Spray hard enough into the wound to wash away drainage and discharge. Use a clean soft, dry cloth or piece of gauze to carefully pat the wound dry.
Stitches and staples are used to keep wounds together during healing. They need to be removed within 4-14 days. The specific removal date depends on the location of the stitches or staples. Removal should not be delayed.
In most cases, the stitches or staples should be removed within about 4 days to two weeks. The specific amount of time for removal is dependent on where the stitches or staples are located. It is important not to delay the removal as it can result in scarring and other complications.
It is essential that people do not remove their stitches until the wound has had sufficient time to heal. General guidelines on how long to wait before removing stitches are: 10–14 days for stitches on the body. 7 days for stitches on the head or neck.
After the first 24 to 48 hours, wash around the cut with clean water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the cut with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a non-stick bandage. Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.