How Wounds Are Typically Closed
Do you know that wounds must be closed so that they can heal quickly without infection or with minimal scarring? There are many ways that a wound or surgical incision can be kept tightly closed.
Sometimes, incisions or wounds may not be closed during surgery but only after the healing has started. Keeping wounds closed is important to avoid infection.
Since the skin is the barrier between the body and bacteria in the environment, open skin will increase the risk of having an infection.
It is important to undergo proper incision care from a wound specialist regardless of how wounds are closed. This will improve the healing by reducing the chances of infection as it provides a clean environment for the wound to heal.
Primary Intention or Closing The Wound Right Away
When the wound is closed right away, most wounds will heal by applying primary intention. If a wound will fit neatly together, it is referred to as well-approximated.
This is when the wound specialist will bring together the edges that require stitches or sutures or another method to close the wound up. If the wound has irregular edges, the skin can be trimmed to make its shape more regular and make the closure easier.
Closing Via Secondary Intention
When a wound can’t be brought together to be neatly closed, it requires secondary intention. For some wounds that require removal of a tissue, the skin can no longer be pulled back together in a neat shape.
Wound filling or granulation is necessary to fill in the area being removed. But the amount of granulation will depend on the size of the tissue that require filling. The process will take a longer period of time if the wound is open because a new skin cell has a greater area to fill.
Tertiary Intention Or Delayed Wound Closure
This is a method where the wound specialist will keep the wound is not closed immediately. This means that the wound must be closed only at a later date due to the fact that it is better if it will be closed in the future.
Although some wounds need to be closed immediately, others benefit from a delayed wound closure. This can be done after surgery, to treat a wound that is contaminated, needs repeated cleansing, or likely to become infected.
This can be comparable to a major intestinal surgery wherein a large incision is made and the surgery has been performed.
Common Ways Of Closing Wounds
Surgical Staples
Surgical staples are useful to hold a wound together. Moreover, they are quite easy to place, strong enough to hold a wound closed in an area that moves frequently, and painless to remove.
Sutures
They are also known as stitches that are made of synthetic thread used to sew a wound together, such as closing deep cuts. Sutures are also inexpensive and can be placed quickly. They can be removed by a wound specialist in which the length of time it remains in place depends on the type of wound.
Dermabond Surgical Glue
In order to close a wound, some methods apply a super glue to keep an incision closed. This is suitable for small incisions without needing much strength to keep it in place for healing.
Steristrips
These are small stripes of sterile adhesive materials to tape a wound and keep it closed. This is advisable for small incisions that do not experience much stress during the healing process.
We specialize in diagnosis and treatment for any and all wound care issues for patients in San Diego County, Orange County, and Riverside County. For more information or to set an appointment, please contact us.