Surgical wound healing HUB
Dive deeper into experts' opinion and global consensus on incision care
How can we reduce complications from surgeries? Listen to experts talk about how to improve surgical wound healing outcomes in our new YouTube interview series, hosted by Dr. Kylie Sandy-Hodgetts.
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Consensus document
Summary:
Post-incisional care varies by region and should focus on reducing surgical site complictions. Dressing selection should follow local protocols, considering wound status, surgery type, and patient circumstances. The right dressing for the right patient is crucial, and wounds should be left undisturbed as long as possible to promote healing. Avoiding routine dressing changes is essential. Consistent care, standardisation, staff education, and surgical team access are vital for better outcomes. Dressings should be changed only when clinically necessary, not routinely.
Clinical supplement
Improving incision care practices
Summary:
Using dressings based on undisturbed wound healing (UWH) principles is transforming post-operative care. Dressings should be changed based on clinical need, not routine. Advanced dressings keep wounds moist, contamination-free, and maintain patient mobility. Research shows benefits such as cost savings, faster healing, fewer complications, increased survival rates, and improved quality of life. Incorporating UWH concepts and advanced dressings into current care practices is essential for better patient outcomes and modernising outdated routines.
ISWCAP SUPPLEMENT
Summary:
The study focuses on the effectiveness of a self-adherent, absorbent postoperative dressing (Mepilex Border Post-Op) in orthopaedic surgery, particularly for hip and knee replacements. Frequent dressing changes can disrupt healing and increase contamination risk, so undisturbed wound healing (UWH) is crucial. The retrospective study reviewed 558 patient records, with 151 providing data on dressing wear time and changes. The first dressing was worn for an average of 13.6 days, and the second for 5.3 days. Most patients (69.5%) wore the first dressing for 14 days or more. Quality of life improved over time, indicating the dressing’s suitability for a 14-day wear period. The study was supported by Mölnlycke Health Care, with no conflicts of interest declared.
Associations engaged in improving incision care, for the benefit of the patients and their outcomes:
ISWCAP: The International Surgical Wound Complications Advisory
Panel's vision is to reduce the occurrence of surgical wound complications across the world through advocacy, education, risk identification and improved clinical management.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: ERAS' mission is to develop peri-operative care and to improve recovery through research, education, audit and implementation of evidence-based practice. Since recently, ERAS collaborates with ISWCAP on the mission to improve incision care.
Watch the recording of one of the presentations from the Mölnlycke symposium at EORNA 2022, where Rhidian Morgan-Jones, orthopaedic surgeon from the UK, talks about Dressing Consensus: Risks & Choices.
You can download the full meeting report from the symposium at EORNA 2022, including also summaries of the presentations from researcher and opinion builder Dr. Kylie Sandy-Hodgetts and surgeon Leena Berg.
- Download here (465 kB)
At the WUWHS 2022 Congress, a workshop was organised on the topic ”Surgical incision care – negative pressure wound therapy and advanced dressings”.
- Download here (507 kB)
Preventing infections in surgical wounds
Up to one in 20 patients undergoing surgery will develop a surgical site infection (SSI), so it’s vital to protect surgical wounds post-operatively.
Surgical wound dressings - Dos and Don’ts
Post-surgical incision care is a vital part of the patient journey and must be optimised, particularly in terms of reducing the risk of infection and associated complications. Join Dr. Jorma Pajamäki as he discusses incision care and dressing selection for surgical wounds. Tuesday, 31 March 2020, 11:00AM CET/06:00PM SGT (Singapore time).Register
Would you make a change if you knew there was one thing that could improve patient outcome after surgery? If you are the one making the incision, you should know how much the dressing impacts healing and positive outcomes.
