The conclusions of their meetings were recently published as Incision care and dressing selection in surgical wounds: Findings from an international meeting of surgeons. These were the questions discussed by a team of senior surgeons who came together to discuss post-op dressing challenges. New post-op dressing protocols for optimal healing Looking into the future, what should a post-operative dressing protocol look like? What should be demanded of a post-operative dressing? The 'always been done this way' approach of the frequent dressing changes necessitated by poor-absorption dressings can lead to the risk of contamination, higher costs of care in both material and clinician time, and disturbed healing. This type of dressing has been used for decades, and dressing change protocols are often simply a consequence of following ritualistic processes that have always been done.
UNDISTURBED SKIN
These dressings tend to be low absorbing, lack barrier function and often cause painful skin damage. Similarly, post-operative wound care is dominated by conventional dressings, typically comprising a non-woven with an acrylic adhesive and an absorbing pad. Post-operative dressing change protocols need to change to reflect changing clinical understanding. This can slow or stop healing entirely, exposing post-operative wounds to contamination and increasing the risk of a superficial Surgical Site Infection (SSI). Traditional dressing change protocols, which rely on changing dressings on a schedule, whether or not a change is needed, can disturb wound healing.
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