Getting a surgery either big or small procedure can cause great anxiety and an unnerving experience. The journey of healing does not stop there as from surgery you might be facing a surgical wound as it is an incision. Incision is a cut made to the skin during a surgery operation and is stitched back together upon the surgery is done. Stitches or suture helps to heal the skin. It is unavoidable to get a surgical wound and necessary to make sure it is healed well as any disturbance to the healing process might cause pain and discomfort.
Hence, what medicine can you put on the incision site to help it heal? You can apply antibiotic cream or ointment to help the area become moist and prevent potential infection from pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria from dirt. You can take painkiller medications to help yourself ease the discomfort or pain sensation especially if the incision is quite big or after you have undergone a major surgery operation.
Although medicine can help the incision to heal, taking care of the wound itself does not require a state of the art or expensive ways. It actually starts with the basic wound care management that could be done easily by you and even kids can understand how to do it well. One of the important aspects in wound healing is to make sure the wound area is clean. Using cleaners such as alcohol, iodine and hydrogen peroxide might seem the best idea to help the wound clean but this is not necessarily true during the first 72 hours after a surgery. This is because such cleaner might actually slow down the healing process. Avoid using any makeup or any beauty products like powder or lotion on the wound site until the incision fully heals after a few weeks.
Since some incisions would need you to change the wound dressing by yourself on a regular basis, it is best to learn the right technique from a healthcare professional to help prevent any future complications from the wound. Always remember to practise good hygiene when cleaning the incision site such as washing your hand and wearing medical gloves. Avoid scrubbing or soaking the wound in water. Air-dry the incision or pat it dry with a clean fresh towel or cotton before reapplying the new dressing. Avoid taking a bath and opt for shower instead unless the doctor says it is alright to do so.
Aside from these measures, it is necessary to avoid direct sun exposure to the incision site for 3 to 9 months after surgery. This is due to the new skin formed from the cut being very sensitive to sunlight and likely to get burned easily. Eventually this may lead to bad scarring of the new skin. Crust will form on the incision site marking the body is closing the wound and to help the skin to heal. Picking or scratching off the crusting area to open the scab will increase the occurrence of scarring due to absence of the two top skin layers of epidermis and dermis that should be helping to heal the incision site.
Soreness, tenderness, feeling a bit tingling, numbness and itching can happen around the incision area. Mild oozing, bruising and small lump may form. These are normal and usually not a concern. you should consult your doctor if the cut place
- Shows increase of yellow or green oozing or causing smelly odour
- Shows increase of the incision size
- Experiencing great pain or unusual pain
- Excessive bleeding that soaked the dressing
- Noticing redness and hardening around the incision site
- Sudden fever