Incision Care After Surgery In The Hospital

Incision Care In The Hospital

After your surgery, it is likely that your surgeon will perform the first bandage change on your incisions. This is so the incision can be inspected for signs of infection and to make sure that the incision is going to close completely.

Ideally, the incision will be dry or have only slight drainage. The stitches, sutures or surgical glue will hold the sides of the incision closely together, or "well-approximated" in a neat line. Sutures will be tight enough to pull the incision closed, but not so tight that they attempt to tear apart.

Many people look away while the surgeon is doing this, or close their eyes, but watching what the surgeon (or nurse) does is a great way to learn the correct bandage change procedure. Watching is a good idea for another reason, too. Later on, you'll be able to determine if your wound looks better or worse than it did during the last bandage change.