Assessment of surgical wounds

If a surgical wound does not heal as expected, perform a thorough assessment. The assessment should not be limited to the wound; to identify the cause(s) of impaired healing, consider the surgical site, the reasons for surgery, and patient characteristics. See Assessing patients with an ulcer or wound.

Specifically for surgical wounds, assessment should also include:

• the type of surgery or cause of skin damage
• when the surgery took place
• review of any complications during the surgery.

Regular review with reassessment is important.