To dress or not to dress surgical wounds? Patients' attitudes to wound care after major abdominal operations

Abstract

Objective: To find out what patients' attitudes were to wound care after abdominal operations to ensure that patients' own views were not violated by introducing a new method of wound care.

Design: Randomised study.

Setting: University hospital, Sweden.

Patients: 68 consecutive patients operated for benign gastrointestinal disease.

Interventions: Patients were randomised to have their abdominal wounds dressed or exposed. On their last day in hospital their attitudes were assessed by visual analogue score and questionnaire.

Main outcome measures: Attitudes to wound care.

Results: There were no differences between the two groups in any of the variables studied. The visual analogue scores for postoperative pain were higher than had been anticipated.

Conclusion: Most patients do not mind whether their wounds are covered with a dressing or not after abdominal operations.