Palm Incision at 10 Days
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This is a carpal tunnel incision at 10 days after surgery.
The patient, a 54 year old self-employed diesel mechanic, has been back at work since the day after surgery (I told him to hold off until at least 2 weeks!). His incision at A has opened up just a bit, through the thick callus of his palm, but it will do well. (It would have healed faster if he had waited to return to work!) His incision at B has healed so quickly that it is hardly noticeable (the incision was one continuous incision, from A to C, and all done at the same surgery). His incision at C is more typical of an incision at 10 days: there is a minimal amount of redness, representing a normal amount of increased bloodflow to the skin to help it heal. The skin edges are close together, and only the callus (which of course is dead skin and cannot heal) is still open. The sutures are invisible, because they are inside the body and are of the absorbing type.
Incisions such as this will be just slightly tender to light touch, but will hurt if you stretch them (the body is still healing!) The incision will hurt if you push on it, depending on the amount of surgery deep to the incision. The area will hurt, possibly a lot, if you push on it or stress the structures below it.
The little bit of redness in NOT INFECTION. This amount of redness is normal. Redness like a pimple and pain with light touch like a pimple may be signs of infection. Usually, post-operative incisions that are infected are VERY RED and VERY PAINFUL, not just slightly red or slightly tender. Use your judgement. If in doubt, give me a call: 415-925-0501.
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