Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
Adjunctive therapies include electrotherapy and low laser irradiation. However, at present, insufficient research has been completed to recommend their general use.
Not all wounds need debridement. Sometimes it is better to leave a hardened crust...
of dead tissue (eschar), than to remove it and create an open wound, particularly if the crust is stable and the wound is not inflamed. Before performing debridement, the physician will take a medical history with attention to factors that might complicate healing, such as medications being taken and smoking. The physician will also note the cause of the wound and the ways it has been treated. Some ulcers and other wounds occur in places where blood flow is impaired, for example, the foot ulcers that can accompany diabetes mellitus. In such cases, the physician or nurse may decide not to debride the wound because blood flow may be insufficient for proper healing.
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Other Information
Debridement is a medical term referring to the removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue. Removal may be surgical, mechanical, chemical, autolytic (self-digestion), and by maggot therapy, where certain species of live maggots selectively eat only necrotic tissue.
In oral hygiene and dentistry, debridement refers to the removal of plaque and calculus that have accumulated on the teeth. Debridement in this case may be performed using ultrasonic instruments, which fracture the calculus, thereby facilitating its removal, as well as hand tools, including periodontal scaler and curettes, or through the use of chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide.
Debridement is an important part of the healing process for burns and other serious wounds.
Other Information
Foot and ankle surgery rehabilitation can be done at home but usually requires some formal physiotherapy. The physiotherapist will advise you on correct exercises, walking patterns and stretches to ensure optimal post operative recovery.
-Institute of Surgical Podiatry
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