05 Dec Wound Care 101: What You Need to Know About Taking Care of Your Post-Surgical Wound

After surgery, you will need to take care of your incision at home while it heals. Doing so properly will help you lower the risk of problems like infections, may help lower pain and discomfort, and can limit eventual scarring. 

Of course, you aren’t expected to know how to care for your wound without some instruction. Your healthcare provider will give you some guidance. But here is a general guideline for post-surgical wound care so you know what to expect as well as the ways SMARTKIT from FritzFinn can help you get the best results. 

Wound Care 101 – taking care of post-surgical wounds at home

Understanding how to care for your wound at home after surgery properly can help prevent infection and improve your recovery. And since nearly one-third of surgery patients develop post-surgical infections, it’s important to take this task seriously. 

Whether you have staples or stitches, here are some wound care tips to keep your incision clean, closed, and free from infection during your recovery at home.

1. Keep it clean and dry
After a procedure, it’s generally recommended that you keep the wound area dry for at least 24 hours before changing your bandages. But your physician will give you specific instructions. 

2. Prepare the area
Choose a specific spot in your home that is clean, quiet, and level to take care of your daily wound care. 

3. Organize your supplies
Have all your wound dressing supplies on hand before you begin. 

4. Wash your hands thoroughly
Remove any jewelry and wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 30 seconds. 

5. Carefully remove the old bandage
Slowly pull the old dressing up and away from the wound to remove it. 

6. Inspect the wound thoroughly
Before redressing the wound, inspect it for any signs of infection. Call your doctor if you notice any of these signs:

• A noticeably red or swollen incision site
• A wound with yellow or green drainage
• An incision that has re-opened
• A wound that smells bad
• Pain that isn’t getting better
• A feeling of fullness or hardness around the wound

7. Redress the wound
Unless advised to do so by your physician, it’s not a good idea to clean a wound at every dressing change. As long as you’re clear of any signs of infection, you can change the dressing, ensuring the wound is covered on all sides. Dispose of all your wound treatment materials and wash your hands one more time. 

8. Limit your movement
To keep your wound safe between dressings, limit your movement and avoid scratching. This will give you the best possible results in your post-surgical recovery. 

Using SMARTKITS™ from FritzFinn for your post-surgical wound

If you or a loved one have an upcoming surgery, you can relieve some of the stress of post-surgical wound care and get better overall results by using SMARTKITS from FritzFinn. This is a complete single-use package of high-quality wound care products that gets delivered directly to your doorstep. 

SMARTKITS contain everything you need to take the best possible care of your wound, including gloves, gauze, saline for wound irrigation, customized bandage, and customized collagen dressing. SMARTKITS are effective, convenient, and simple to use, making them the ideal choice for home care after surgery. 

Get the help you need with post-surgical wound care from Fritz-Finn

How you care for your post-surgical wound can make a significant difference in your outcome. Following these tips is a great start. And part of that is having the right wound care products on hand when you need them.  When you use SMARTKITS from FritzFinn, you get the personalized wound care products you need delivered directly to your doorstep. Contact us today to learn more about using our all-in-one package of high-quality wound care products for your post-surgical care.