For most surgical patients, a period of recuperation is required after discharge from the hospital before the surgical wound heals. During this time, poor care can result in slow wound healing and even infection.
So, after you are discharged from the hospital, you and your relatives should follow medical advice and pay attention to the following three things:
- Take care not to touch water in and around the wound until it has healed;
- Once there is exudate on the wound dressing, the dressing should be disinfected with alcohol and changed; your doctor does not recommend that you and your family treat the wound at home. If you have been discharged from the hospital, it is recommended that you go to a regular hospital every three days for a dressing change by your doctor.
- Take note of any redness, swelling, and oozing of the skin around the wound.
You should go to the hospital for any wound discomfort.
Tips:
About suture removal: There are two types of sutures for thyroid wounds, absorbable and non-absorbable, each with its own advantages; different procedures, different hospitals, and even different lead surgeons have preferences for sutures. The type of sutures determines whether or not they need to be removed, and when they are removed depends on the degree of wound healing and is up to the doctor’s judgment. Therefore, we recommend that you strictly follow the discharge doctor’s orders and change the medication on a regular outpatient basis, and do not take it lightly on your own.
Co-written by Dr. Hu Jiaqian, Cancer Hospital of Fudan University