Wound Care by a Skilled Plastic Surgeon Can Ensure Proper Healing with Minimal Scarring
Wound care doesn’t have to stop at a surgical procedure to simply close the wound. In many cases, an experienced plastic surgeon such as Dr. James B. Lowe is heavily involved in the process. He’s able to use the most advanced techniques, and he has access to a highly trained in-house team to essentially reduce scarring and improve the healing of wounds. If you have suffered a soft tissue injury such as a laceration, Dr. Lowe can provide proper wound care at his Oklahoma City, OK, plastic surgery practice to not only ensure the wound is closed so it can heal, but to also minimize scarring. Especially in cases where wounds are in a highly visible area, such as the face, the expertise of a plastic surgeon is extremely valuable.
Your Wound Care Consultation with Dr. Lowe
When you meet with Dr. Lowe, he will conduct a thorough physical examination and review your medical history in detail. You should provide him with information regarding any medications or supplements you are taking, as these can affect your ability to heal properly. He will then carefully evaluate your wound to determine the best treatment option to successfully close the wound and ensure proper healing with minimal scarring. The specific treatments he recommends will largely depend on the type and size of the wound. Other factors, such as infection, may also play a role in determining the type of treatment he will recommend.
Especially in cases where wounds are in a highly visible area, such as the face, the expertise of a plastic surgeon is extremely valuable.
Wound Care Reconstructive Treatments
One of the more popular treatment methods is free flap microsurgery. A free flap uses a tissue graft from one area of the body and transplants it to the site of the wound. Free flap surgery requires microsurgical techniques to reattach the blood vessels at the site of the wound. This reattachment ensures the donor tissue receives adequate blood supply, greatly increasing the success rate of the procedure. A wide range of tissues can be used for a free flap, such as skin, fat, muscle, nerve, bone, cartilage, and more. The type(s) of tissue used for your free flap will depend on the location, size, and depth of your wound. Other treatment techniques Dr. Lowe may utilize include skin grafts, artificial skin substitutes, and local or rotational flaps.
Post-surgical Care
Dr. Lowe works with a highly trained team of experts to perform all wound care treatments. In addition to these skilled professionals, he also utilizes the most advanced technology to ensure success with minimized scarring. To further increase a successful outcome, he provides each patient with a detailed set of instructions for post-operative care. It is of the utmost importance that these instructions are closely followed to ensure proper healing. In general, bandages must be changed regularly to prevent infection. Once you can go without the bandages, it is important to avoid direct sunlight without adequate protection. Sun exposure can have a significant impact on the visibility of your scar after any procedure. Patients who follow Dr. Lowe’s post-surgical care instructions are more likely to see satisfactory results after treatment.
Schedule Your Consultation
If you have suffered any sort of trauma that has resulted in a wound that either will not heal or is in a conspicuous location, contact our plastic surgery office today to schedule a wound care consultation.
