The patient who had an emergency abdominal surgery looks at his incision on the first postoperative day and says, "I sure hope this doesn't leave much of a scar. Is there some type of medicine or ointment I can put on it?" What should the nurse consider prior to responding to that comment?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The incision in question was an emergency surgery, which typically means the incision was done as clean as possible. This incision will heal by primary intention, which means the incision's edges will seal together, and little to no granulation tissue will form. This will lead to less scarring, and the scar will likely be a hairline. There is no need for medication or ointment.

The Patient Who Had an Emergency Abdominal Surgery Looks at His