Debridement Patient
What is a Surgical Debridement?
- Overtime wounds can build up bacteria and dead cells/tissue over the wound bed. This bacteria and dead tissue will prevent your wound from healing.
- Surgical Debridement is when the surgeon “cleans” and removes the bacteria and dead tissue with a scalpel/medical instrument from the wound bed.
- The surgeon can “clean” the wound bed more extensively and in the “cleanest” way possible in the operating room.
What is the Benefit?
- Surgical debridement is proven to be the most effective way to clean a wound.
- Will decrease healing time/Promote wound edges to close in.
- Decrease risk for further infection.
What to Expect
- This will be an “outpatient procedure” this means you will most likely leave the hospital the same day.
- You will leave the hospital with a dressing in place.
- You may have a dressing in place called a wound vac (negative pressure wound therapy). A wound vac is a small medical device that removes wound drainage by pulling drainage through a small flexible tube into a small canister. A wound vac can promote wound healing.
After Care Instructions
- Do not remove your dressing until instructed.
- Plan to rest for one week after surgery.
- Take your medications as prescribed.
- Keep your dressing and/or wound vac CLEAN, DRY, and INTACT.
- Do not shower until approved by your surgeon. You may take a sponge bath and avoid your dressings getting wet.
- Your first dressing change will be done by your surgeon in the outpatient wound clinic
When to call your Surgeon
- If you have heavy bleeding that saturates the dressing, hold pressure over the dressing for 10 minutes and call your surgeon. If the bleeding does not stop, go to ER.
- If you have any signs of infection such as the following call your surgeon:* fever*chills,*severe pain at site*visible bright redness outside of dressing edges and/or hot to the touch
What is a skin substitute?
- A skin substitute is made from natural and/or synthetic properties that create a “skin like” covering to help heal your wound.
- Skin substitutes are made from a variety of sources:
- Those made from another person or cadaver are called allografts.
- Those made from other species are called xenografts.
- Some are made from human placenta and human intestinal layers.
- Your surgeon will decide what type of skin substitute is best for you.