Treatment of a bruise after surgery | How do you treat a bruise?

Treatment of a bruise after surgery

In the course of an operation there are not always, but often minor to major bruising. Depending on the type of operation and the procedures used, incisions are made and vessels are injured. This results in bleeding into surrounding tissue or the body cavity.

Small bruises may occur at the site where the incision was made and sutured or stapled after the operation. After a major operation (e.g. hip joint surgery), it is possible that the bruise may bleed into a muscle lobe and that the bruise may extend over longer distances (e.g. the thigh or lower leg).

However, this is usually not dangerous. The bruise can usually be treated well with heparin ointments, cold and high bedding. An exception is the compartment syndrome, in which great pressure builds up in a musculature, squeezing nerves and vessels and causing severe pain.

Here, medical treatment must be given immediately to prevent permanent damage. Otherwise, if the bruise does not disappear over several weeks and causes pain in the joints, surgical removal may have to be considered. In addition to external haematomas, there may also be effusions in the abdomen that are not visible from the outside and can only be visualized with imaging techniques. Depending on where these are located, there is a risk of inflammation or even the impression of vessels or other structures. With the help of ultrasound, MRI or CT, surgeons can assess whether the bruise needs to be removed or whether they can wait.

Treatment with home remedies

A wide variety of herbs, compresses and poultices are known as household remedies, which are supposed to promote the healing of a bruise. In addition to cooling with ice or cool packs, quark compresses are a well-functioning alternative. Furthermore, lukewarm baths with arnica essence, rubbing with brandy, wraps soaked in clay, parsley, butter and onion wraps seem to help with bruises.

A frequently mentioned substance is arnica. It can be used both as an ointment and as globules. Another helpful plant from nature is comfrey, which contains tanning agents that fight inflammation and stimulate blood circulation.

Horse ointment can also be found in many home pharmacies. This is actually an ointment for the regeneration of horse muscles, which contains various substances such as menthol or rosemary. Another group of helpers from the medicine chest are the Schüssler salts. Here, different salts with different modes of action are offered to promote the healing of bruises.