- An incision is a cut made through the skin, fat, tissue and sometimes muscle to access the surgical site. It is deeper than it appears and can take months to fully heal. - Incision size depends on the surgery. Traditional open incisions are several inches long while minimally invasive incisions are under an inch with multiple small incisions. - Proper incision care includes gentle cleaning, avoiding harsh scrubbing, and letting scabs form without disruption as they aid healing. See a doctor if the incision starts opening more than expected.

1. SURGICAL INCISION
- RIYA SANJAY BAGHELE.
NAGPUR

3. INTRODUCTION
• An incision is a cut made into the tissues of the body to
expose the underlying tissue, bone, or organ so that a
surgical procedure can be performed. An incision is
typically made with a sharp instrument, such as a scalpel,
that is extremely sharp and leaves the skin and tissues
with clean edges that are able to heal well.
• Incisions can also be made with an electrocautery tool,
which uses heat to both cut and cauterize at the same
time, which can dramatically minimize bleeding during a

4. • It is a common misunderstanding that an incision cuts through just
the skin when in fact it typically goes through the skin, fat, the
underlying tissue, and often through muscle in order to allow the
surgeon to access the surgical site.
• Incisions can also expose bone, which may also be cut, depending
upon the nature of the procedure.
• An incision is much deeper than it appears on the surface. This is why
an incision may appear to have healed on the surface in only a week
or two but can take months to reach full strength as the underlying
muscle and tissues continue to heal.
• It is also why your surgeon may give you restrictions to not lift
anything heavy that last well beyond when the wound appears healed.

7. •Incision Size
• A traditional "open" incision is a large incision used to
perform surgery. An open incision is typically at least
three inches long but may be much larger, varying
from surgery to surgery and the severity of the
problem. This allows the surgeon enough room to
work and see the area that is being worked on and to
insert the necessary surgical instruments to perform
surgery. An incision may be enlarged during surgery
in order to give the surgeon more room to work. For
example, when a patient is having gallbladder surgery,

8. • Surgical incisions, in general, are getting much
smaller. Laparoscopic, or minimally invasive (keyhole),
incisions are much smaller than the traditional open
incision and are just large enough to allow surgical
instruments to be inserted into the body. Instead of
having one incision that is four inches long, you may
have three or four that are less than an inch long. For
abdominal surgeries, one of these is often hidden in
the belly button, so scarring is minimized. It may
seem odd that multiple incisions are better than one,
but it is harder for the body to heal one large incision
than multiple small incisions.

10. •Care of Incisions
• Not harsh scrubbing and strength testing. Be gentle on your
incision, don't push your incision to its limits as they can and
do open when too much stress is applied. Don't scrub your
incision—scabs on will form on your sutures and they are
supposed to be there; it is a sign of healing. Use gentle soap
and water in the shower and rinse thoroughly. If you were given
dressing change instructions, be sure to follow them.
• If you notice your incision starting to open more than one or
two sutures, let your surgeon know, as it should be healing
along the entire incision, not just in random places. A gap in
your incision is an easy way for infection to begin as it allows
an easy access point for bacteria.

11. •Your incision should heal, sometimes
slowly, but still with steady progress
from red and sore to pink and healthy
new tissue filling in the wound.
Diabetic patients will often heal more
slowly, as will patients who have
chronic illness or were very sick at the
time of surgery.