Wound healing disorders after surgery | Wound healing disorder

Wound healing disorders after surgery

After an operation, many patients are initially relieved when everything has gone according to plan. Unfortunately, many complications can still occur even after the operation has been completed. One of the most important and feared complications is the wound healing disorder.

In some cases, it delays wound healing considerably and can lead to a significantly longer hospital stay. The causes are very different. On the one hand, they depend on individual factors such as age, previous illnesses and overweight.

On the other hand, of course, the operating conditions play a role: the area of the operation, the size of the wound, suture technique and hygiene are only a few examples. Especially in hospitals, wound infections can often be observed despite highly modern medicine. They are among the most dangerous wound healing disorders after an operation and in some cases even end fatally.

At the beginning, the infection of the wound is noticeable by a slight reddening and/or swelling. As the infection progresses, many patients report pain and pus discharge. Now it is important to take timely therapeutic measures (e.g. vacuum dressings, wound cleansing, etc.

), otherwise the infection can spread to other parts of the body. In many cases, antibiotic therapy is suitable for this purpose. To be on the safe side, wound swabs can be taken under certain circumstances.

In this method, tiny amounts of wound secretion are removed and analyzed under a microscope. In this way it can be determined which bacteria are causing the infection. Subsequently, a targeted antibiotic therapy can be planned.

At present, infections with multi-resistant germs (MRSA) in particular pose a real challenge for many clinics. Since wound healing disorders can sometimes progress very quickly, it is very important that treating physicians perform regular wound checks after surgery. For this purpose, it is essential to take a thorough look under the dressing and not just examine the surrounding tissue.

Wound healing disorders in diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common causes of wound healing disorders in Germany. Patients often suffer from protracted, weeping wounds and in some cases their quality of life is considerably impaired. But what is the reason for this?

As a complex disease, diabetes interferes with various processes in our body. Long-term elevated blood sugar levels damage our small and large blood vessels. The physician then speaks of a “micro- or macroangiopathy”.

The decisive factor for the development of a wound healing disorder is above all damage to the small blood vessels. The progressive destruction of the small blood vessels leads to reduced blood circulation in affected areas of the body. In the beginning, it is mainly feet and later also legs of diabetes patients that are affected.

In the course of the disease, however, a disturbance in wound healing can also be observed in all other parts of the body. Also popularly known is the diabetic foot. This is a chronic wound healing disorder in the area of the feet, which in the worst case culminates in amputation.

Diabetes patients should therefore have their feet examined by a doctor at regular intervals. In addition to the described damage to the blood vessels, diabetes also damages the nervous system.This disorder results in permanent damage to the sensitive nerves. Patients report sensations of discomfort (“burning feet“), numbness, “formication”, disturbed temperature and vibration sensations.

In the context of this “diabetic polyneuropathy” (PNP), those affected simply no longer feel small injuries. Especially on the feet, originally small wounds can trigger a serious wound healing disorder with infection. For prevention, diabetics can fall back on specially padded shoes or custom-made insoles, for example.

Furthermore, diabetics often have a weakened immune system. Due to the reduced resistance, germs can settle more easily and sometimes cause dangerous infections. Basically, the blood sugar of a diabetic patient must be adjusted as optimally as possible. This is the only way to prevent permanent wound healing disorders and serious consequences.