Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Causes and Management Surgical Wound Dehiscence PDF
Causes and Management Surgical Wound Dehiscence PDF
33
34 Cleveland Clinic Quarterly Vol. 39, No. 1
Factor Treatment
I. Systemic
Hypoproteinemia, especially hypoalbu- Correct imbalances when possible before
minemia surgery. When correction is not possible,
Anemia use retention sutures in addition to stan-
Vitamin C deficiency dard closure.
Steroid therapy
Active infection
Old age (affects rate of healing)
I I . Local
Poor hemostasis Good surgical technique and good anesthesia.
P o o r blood supply Consider antibiotics (systemic and local)
Ragged wound edges if infection is present or contamination un-
Contamination of raw wound edges avoidable. T y p e of anesthesia is not a fac-
Inadequate drainage of undercut wounds tor.
(as in incisional hernia)
Poor technique in making incision
Poor technique in closing incision
Anesthesia*—poor relaxation at time of
closure and uneven tension and cutting
of sutures
I I I . Postoperative
Violent coughing Preoperative preparation and postoperative
Violent emesis anticipation with institution of appro-
Ileus priate measures immediately.
Strain at urination
Strain at passing flatus
Fig. I
F l e x i b l e plastic r o d
nal wall
Umbilicus
Plastic r i n g
O p e n i n g into abdomen
s e c t i o n of
cut e d g e of r i n g
Fig. 2
gether with closure of the disrupted A point not often stressed is the role
wound, is discussed in a separate sec- of anesthesia and the anesthesiologist
tion of this report. in proper wound healing. An anes-
Carefully constructed wounds in thetic which does not give adequate
basically healthy patients will often relaxation at the time of closure may
heal per primam even if the surgeon result in torn tissue, extra strain on
must operate through an infected field, sutures, and hence a predisposition to
and wound contamination is unavoid- dehiscence or a late hernia.
able, as in secondary operations for
enterocutaneous fistulas. Master sur- Postoperative complications
geon Halsted operated on animals in T h e triad of coughing, vomiting,
his shirtsleeves and with clean but not and abdominal distension puts a tre-
sterilized hands. T h e surgical wounds mendous stress on the abdominal inci-
usually healed perfectly, a residt as- sion, and each action may be sufficient
cribed to his meticulous technique. to cause torn sutures, disruption, and
38 Cleveland Clinic Quarterly Vol. 39, No. 1
Skin
I N M I D L I N E I N C I S I O N , MUSCLE S H O W I N G O N O N E SIDE
FIGURE OF 8 SUTURE
Anterior fascia
Second bite
Knot
K n o t t u r n e d in w i t h hemostat
40 Cleveland Clinic Quarterly Vol. 39, No. 1