Keys to Caring for Your Wound At Home

Whether you have a wound from a recent surgery, or you’ve hurt yourself and need first aid, the steps you take to care for your wound will play an important role in ensuring proper healing. While our providers may send you home with more specific care tips depending on the nature and location of your wound, the following home care tips apply to most wounds.

Stop the Bleeding

If you’ve sustained an injury such as a slight abrasion or minor laceration, the first step is to stop the bleeding by applying pressure. Our physicians recommend that you apply direct pressure with a clean gauze or cloth to encourage clotting. If bleeding persists for more than 15 minutes or the wound appears deep or gaping, seek immediate medical attention instead of attempting to treat it at home. 

In the case of an incision from a recent surgery, your medical care team will take steps to stop bleeding as part of your post-op care.

Keep It Clean

Whether you’re caring for an injury or incision from a recent procedure, it’s critically important that you keep the wound clean as it heals. In most cases, this will involve keeping it covered to protect against bacteria or other foreign substances that could cause infection. You may also be advised to clean the area around the wound using a gentle soap and water, or by allowing warm water to run over the affected area while you’re showering. 

Though cleaning is very important, do be mindful to follow any instructions about getting the wound wet. In some cases, you may be instructed not to submerge the wound for a period of time.

Apply Treatments (If Needed)

Some wounds may require topical treatments, such as antibiotic ointments. In some cases, antibiotic ointments can accelerate wound healing, but they aren’t required for all wounds. For example, your doctor may not want you to apply any topical products to an incision with stitches or staples. Small cuts and scrapes generally respond well to these ointments, however.

Change the Dressing

Changing your wound’s dressing helps to reduce your risk of infection. As a reminder, always wash your hands before caring for your wound to avoid introducing bacteria to open skin. Gently loosen the adhesive from your skin, dab at the skin with warm soapy water to remove any dried blood or drainage, and rinse it with a fresh cloth soaked in warm water. Allow it to dry completely before applying a new dressing.

Watch for Signs of an Issue

Vascular Surgical Associates physician Dr. Jeffery Winter cautions that there are certain signs that a wound could be infected and needs immediate medical attention. If the wound appears larger, deeper, or darker than it did previously, for example, contact your doctor. You should also reach out for increased pain, swelling, redness, or bleeding. Finally, call if you have a fever of 100.5 or higher or discolored, odorous drainage coming from the wound.

Vascular Surgical Associates has been treating patients with wounds for more than 30 years. Our staff includes a Wound and Ostomy Certified Registered Nurse and Vascular Surgeon who focuses solely on wounds to ensure that patients with all wounds receive the best possible treatment for safe, timely healing. Find out more about the location nearest you by connecting with us online, or schedule an appointment by calling (770) 423-0595.

Different types of wounds come with different options for wound care. Cuts, grazes, punctures, lacerations, and any necessary surgical incisions can cause problematic complications if not treated properly. The right wound care is key to avoiding infection and long-term complications.

Vascular surgeons have specialized expertise in treating wounds and understanding potential complications that may occur. Their knowledge and skill can provide you with individualized solutions. Here’s a bit more to help you understand what we do. 

What is a Vascular Surgeon?

Vascular surgeons are doctors who have specialized in veins, arteries, and lymphatic circulation. As vascular systems are key to the body’s function and healing, these health care professionals are incredibly knowledgeable about the human body, and have particularly studied the intricacies of tending to wounds. They understand the consequences of failing to treat a wound properly, and carry out the safest and most helpful procedures for wound care.

How Does a Vascular Surgeon Perform Wound Care? 

A vascular surgeon’s choice of wound treatment depends on the wound type. Through diagnostic testing, your vascular surgeon will decide which treatment is best. There are many surgical techniques vascular surgeons can perform to promote healing, but nonsurgical options are also available based on each individual case. In general, cleaning and dressing a wound (sometimes with stitches) will allow it to heal on its own. But for chronic wounds that last longer, vascular surgeons may employ: 

  • Compression therapy such as stockings or bandages to offset pressure on the veins.
  • Wound debridement, or minor surgery that is meant to remove any non-living tissue surrounding the wound.  
  • Hydrogel or hydrocolloid dressings to help ulcers heal. 
  • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy to stimulate oxygen concentration and improve blood supply to the wound area.  
  • Vacuum-assisted closure so that the wound is exposed to continuous suction to promote heating.  
  • Skin grafts in instances where a wound is so large it is unable to close on its own.

Other treatment options including topical antibiotics and alternate wound dressings may also be considered based on your wound’s type, severity, and location. 

Why Is Quality Wound Care Important?

Adequate wound care from a vascular surgeon helps you avoid the risk of infection. Compared to cardiovascular health or cancer treatment, wound care may be seen as trivial, but dangerous bacteria can invade and infect even a small wound. 

Infection even in otherwise healthy people can lead to serious health issues — and in the worst cases, even amputation. Those with complications such as diabetes especially need good wound care, since high blood sugar can impede their ability to heal. 

But even if a wound does not become infected, if left untreated, it can also cause more pain and limit mobility. If a wound does not heal sufficiently in 4 weeks after the primary assessment and treatment of the wound, it can require more care.At Vascular Surgical Associates, our team is here to listen to your questions and address with care any worries you may have. Our professionals are experts not only in wounds, but in veins, arteries, blood, and lymphatic circulation. We can answer any questions you may have about your wound, and how to care for it properly. Call us at 770-423-0595 or visit us online to book an appointment.

We’ve all experienced an injury or sore that can be inconvenient, painful, and challenging to tend to. But when it comes to effective wound maintenance, it can be difficult to know when to contact a doctor. To equip you with the right information about basic wound care and how to find quality help when it is needed, here’s what you should know.

Types of Wounds 

  • Abrasions: These are injuries that form when the skin is rubbed or scraped against a hard surface. These mild injuries are often treatable at home. Any abrasion near the eyes, showing signs of infection, or which cover a large area of the body, however may require medical attention.
  • Lacerations: Unlike abrasions, lacerations are deep cuts to the skin. These are usually the result of a cut caused by a knife, shards of glass, or another sharp object. Sometimes lacerations can be mild, but deeper cuts may require stitches. Bleeding should be stopped immediately, and the wound should be cleaned and wrapped. 
  • Punctures: These are small, deep holes in the skin caused by a pointed object like a nail. Some puncture wounds are mild and don’t require major medical attention. But if the wound is deep and difficult to clean, it becomes vulnerable to bacteria and infection.
  • Burns: This is tissue damage caused by heat, radiation, chemicals, electricity, or the sun. First-degree and most second-degree burns are usually treatable at home, though even these burns are vulnerable to infection. Any burn above a second-degree level can be life-threatening and requires immediate, specialized medical attention. 
  • Avulsions: These are severe wounds that involve the complete removal of several layers of skin, sometimes exposing fat or visible muscle layers beneath. These wounds can rarely be treated at home. Unless the injury is smaller than 0.25 inches by 0.25 inches, a person should seek immediate medical help, and bring any removed portion of skin to the medical center. 

The Healing Process 

Wound healing is the process of the skin recovering from significant damage. There are three general types (also referred to as “intentions”): primary, secondary, and tertiary. Each treatment varies based on the type of wound, its severity, and the steps necessary for complete recovery. 

Primary Wound Healing

Primary wound healing involves stitches, staples, or glue to close a wound. This method helps the body focus on healing a smaller area of injury. 

Secondary Wound Healing 

Secondary wound healing is recommended when a wound is too large to be effectively closed right away. After thorough cleaning, the wound is allowed to heal naturally. As this process can take a long time, there may be a higher risk of infection and/or contamination, so consistent care and attention is required.

Tertiary Wound Healing

Sometimes referred to as healing by delayed primary closure, this treatment involves a prolonged, time-based method of closing the wound. If a doctor fears that they may trap infectious germs or tissue in the wound by closing it too soon, they may allow some natural healing or other treatment therapies before closing it with sutures. 

Treatments 

As with the above intentions, home remedies and other wound treatments will vary depending on the type and nature of the wound. For example, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics with the wound closure in case of infection, or follow-up visits for further debridement and cleaning. In most cases you can expect at least a check-up appointment after the wound has healed. 

At Vascular Surgical Associates our specialists are highly skilled in all methods of wound treatment, and will provide the quality, individualized care you need. Visit us online or call us at 770-423-0595 to schedule an appointment.