Appendix 1 . Types of postoperative complications , their definitions and signs ( continued from previous page ).
Postoperative wound complication
Surgical scar tissue
Definition
Scarring is a part of the normal wound healing process . It should be no wider or longer than the incision site and should be of similar colour to the surrounding skin [ 6 ] . Scarring can be classed as minimal to excessive , depending on the surgery type , incision size and whether there were healing delays , which can dictate scarring complications [ 6 ] .
Signs
• Friable scar tissue
• Tension
• Scar pain
• Thickened and discoloured scar tissue
• Hypertrophic scarring [ 6 ]
Beginnings of friable scar tissue under tension
Seroma or haematoma
Postoperative haematoma in the form of severe bruising
Seroma is the abnormal accumulation of sterile fluid that fills the dead space under the incision site [ 7 ] .
Haematoma is the blood that collects in the tissue / skin surrounding a damaged and leaking blood vessel .
Seroma [ 7 ] :
• Swelling
• Serosanguineous fluid
• Discomfort
Haematoma [ 7 ] :
• Bruising
• Swelling
• Collection of clotted blood under the skin
Medical adhesive-related skin injury ( MARSI )
Damage to superficial skin layers during the removal of medical adhesives , such as postoperative wound dressings [ 3 ] . It can be considered a MARSI if signs persist longer than 30 min after removal of the dressing [ 3 ] .
• Erythema
• Blisters
• Skin erosion
• Skin tears
• Patient interference
• Pain / discomfort
• Dermatitis [ 3 ]
Atopic reaction to adhesives
26 Veterinary Nursing Journal