What is Surgical Wound Debridement

Surgical wound debridement is a procedure that removes dead or infected tissue and other substances from a wound. To heal, a wound must be clean. It also must have an adequate blood supply. Anything that prevents this must be taken out of the wound. This may include:

• Dead tissue.
• Scar tissue.
• Fluid that has built up.
• Debris from outside of the body.

You may need this procedure if you have a wound that has not healed (chronic wound).

Tell a health care provider about:

• Any allergies you have.
• All medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.
• Any problems you or family members have had with anesthetic medicines.
• Any blood disorders you have.
• Any surgeries you have had.
• Any medical conditions you have.
• Whether you are pregnant or may be pregnant.

What are the risks?

Generally, this is a safe procedure. However, problems may occur, including:

• Bleeding.
• Infection.
• Damage to nerves, blood vessels, or healthy tissue inside the wound.
• Scarring and loss of function.

What happens before the procedure?

• Ask your health care provider about:
  • Changing or stopping your regular medicines. This is especially important if you are taking diabetes medicines or blood thinners.
  • Taking medicines such as aspirin and ibuprofen. These medicines can thin your blood. Do not take these medicines before your procedure if your health care provider instructs you not to.
• Follow instructions from your health care provider about eating or drinking restrictions.
• You may be given antibiotic medicine to help prevent or treat infection.
• You may have blood tests.
• Plan to have someone take you home after the procedure.

What happens during the procedure?

• To reduce your risk of infection:
  • Your health care team will wash or sanitize their hands.
  • Your skin will be washed with soap.
• You may have small monitors placed on your body. These are used to check your heart, blood pressure, and oxygen level.
• An IV will be put in your hand or arm.
• You will be given one or more of the following:
  • A medicine to help you relax (sedative).
  • A medicine to numb the area (local anesthetic).
  • A medicine to make you fall asleep (general anesthetic).
  • A medicine that is injected into your spine to numb the area below and slightly above the injection site (spinal anesthetic).
  • A medicine that is injected into an area of your body to numb everything below the injection site (regional anesthetic).
• Your health care provider will clean your wound with a sterile salt–water (saline) solution.
• Your health care provider will use scissors, surgical knives (scalpels) and surgical tweezers (forceps), or a laser to remove dead tissue. Your health care provider will also remove any other material that should not be in the wound.
• After the tissue and other materials have been removed from the wound, your health care provider will clean the wound again and apply a bandage (dressing).

The procedure may vary among health care providers and hospitals.

What happens after the procedure?

• Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen level will be monitored often until the medicines you were given have worn off.
• You will be given medicine for pain.
• You will continue to receive antibiotic medicine if it was started before your procedure.

Surgical Wound Debridement After Care

Refer to this sheet in the next few weeks. These instructions provide you with information about caring for yourself after your procedure. Your health care provider may also give you more specific instructions. Your treatment has been planned according to current medical practices, but problems sometimes occur. Call your health care provider if you have any problems or questions after your procedure.

What can I expect after the procedure?

After the procedure, it is common to have:

• Pain or soreness.
• Fluid that leaks from the wound.
• Stiffness.

Follow these instructions at home:

Medicines

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• If you were prescribed an antibiotic medicine, take it or apply it as told by your health care provider. Do not stop taking or using the antibiotic even if your condition improves.

Wound care

• Follow instructions from your health care provider about:
  • How to take care of your wound.
  • When and how you should change your dressing.
  • When you should remove your dressing. If your dressing is dry and stuck when you try to remove it, moisten or wet the dressing with saline or water so that it can be removed without harming your skin or wound tissue.
• Check your wound every day for signs of infection. Have a caregiver do this for you if you are not able. Watch for:
  • More redness, swelling, or pain.
  • More fluid, blood, or pus.
  • A bad smell.

Activity

• Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while taking prescription pain medicine.
• Ask your health care provider what activities are safe for you.

General instructions

• Eat a healthy diet with lots of protein. Ask your health care provider to suggest the best diet for you.
• Do not smoke. Smoking makes it harder for your body to heal.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.
• Do not take baths, swim, or use a hot tub until your health care provider approves.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have a fever.
• Your pain medicine is not helping.
• Your wound is red and swollen.
• You have increased bleeding.
• You have pus coming from your wound.
• You have a bad smell coming from your wound.
• Your wound is not getting better after 1–2 weeks of treatment.
• You develop a new medical condition, such as diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or conditions that affect your defense (immune) system.