Surgical wound dehiscence develops when the edges of a surgical incision separate along the suture line due to infection or suboptimal healing, leading to an open wound. Surgical wound dehiscence can have a significant impact on the patient’s quality of life, increases the demands on healthcare professionals’ time and is costly to the health economy. Over 50% of patients with surgical wound dehiscence are managed in the community and treating these types of wounds is challenging. General practice nurses (GPNs) need to be aware of those patients that are more likely to present with surgical wound dehiscence and take a preventative approach, as well as understanding the principles of best practice for assessment and management when caring for this group of patients.
Holistic patient assessment remains central to informing wound management plans, despite the nature and origin of the wound. As with any other type of wound, the management of surgical wounds is multifaceted, with both intrinsic and extrinsic factors needing to be addressed to achieve wound healing. In addition to the challenges these pose to the wound healing process, surgical wounds are at risk of dehiscing and overgranulation. Advances in research and technology have resulted in an increase in the use of disposable topical negative pressure devices in the community to manage surgical wounds (Khanbhai et al, 2012; Hudson et al, 2015), which has demonstrated positive patient outcomes in most studies (World Union of Wound Healing Societies [WUWHS], 2016).
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