The patient should be advised the wound will heal by secondary intention as a result of the dehiscence and that this can take several weeks.
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.
Even minor cases of wound dehiscence require immediate attention to prevent the wound from worsening. If left untreated, dehiscence can progress and lead to serious infection and life threatening complications.
The three phases include inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. [3][4][5] The repaired wound can be expected to obtain 80% of the original tensile strength over two years, but will not achieve the same level of pre-injury strength.
Closure. The doctor may close the wound separation with new stitches, or they may allow it to heal as it is. If a wound disruption is deep or complete, you may need another surgery to repair the wound. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.
The cut may need restitched (or glued) if gaping open. This is sometimes done if suturing was less than 48 hours ago.
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.
Although it lasts a few days, the drainage can continue longer, depending on the size of the wound and how fast you heal. Many people will experience this fluid discharge in the six weeks following surgery.
Good incision care can help ensure that it heals well and infection doesn't develop. In most cases, a surgical incision heals in about two weeks.
Treatment for wound dehiscence
Pain medicine. Antibiotics to treat infection. Surgery to remove dead or infected tissue (surgical debridement) Wet-to-dry dressing.
If associated with superficial wound dehiscence, they can be treated by absorbent dressings such as alginate dressing.
Wound dehiscence is estimated to occur in 0.5–3.4% of abdominopelvic surgeries, and carries a mortality of up to 40%.
What Are Risk Factors for Dehiscence? A variety of underlying health conditions can increase a patient's risk for developing dehiscence after surgery. Such conditions include the patient being overweight or obese, hypertension, anemia, and hypoproteinemia.
Wound dehiscence is when part or all of a wound comes apart. The wound may come apart if it does not heal completely, or it may heal and then open again. A surgical wound is an example of a wound can that develop dehiscence. Wound dehiscence can become life-threatening.
Wound dehiscence is caused by many things such as age, diabetes, infection, obesity, smoking, and inadequate nutrition. Activities like straining, lifting, laughing, coughing, and sneezing can create increased pressure to wounds, causing them to split.
Inflammation is important to wound healing because it helps control the bleeding and prevent infection. But if you continue to experience inflammation for more than a couple weeks, it may be a sign that something is getting in the way of the healing process and you should talk to a doctor.
How Long Does It Take for a Drain Hole to Heal? The drainage hole is about as wide as a pencil. The hole will close in a few days and fully heal in three to four weeks.
Serous drainage is normal and it's a sign that your body is healing. Serosanguinous fluid: Serosanguinous fluid is a combination of serous fluid and blood. It's usually a light pink to red color. This is a sign that your body is healing the wound and isn't a concern in normal amounts.
The odds ratio of infection increases by 76.2% with each additional week of drain duration. A drain duration over 21 days is significantly more likely to cause infection.
Wound dehiscence is a distressing but common occurrence among patients who have received sutures. The condition involves the wound opening up either partially or completely along the sutures – basically, the wound reopens to create a new wound.
Some methods to prevent surgical wound dehiscence include supporting the abdomen when coughing, sneezing, or moving around/sitting up in bed, avoiding strain or pressure to the wound area (heavy lifting, exercise, coughing, constipation/straining with bowel movements), and maintaining a good diet and good oral intake ...