why leave an open appendectomy open after surgery?

[Tami707]

I work in a mixed med-surg unit, so we get pediatric patients occasionally. One of our surgeons, will leave the open appys open after surgery and have us clean them qXhrs. Usually this means re-opening the incision when we clean it. I've tried searching for a benefit to this technique but am unable to find anything. Any hints or pearls? Thanks.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I have never ever seen a surgeon leave an appy open. Even if the appy ruptured, they still close them up, and most of the time can still do it lapriscopic. Leaving something as minor as an appy open sounds like a major infection risk.

[canadianpedsnurse]

I've probably seen over a hundred appy's, most of them perforated, and I've never ever seen someone left open. Drains - yes, and some develop abcesses which are treated with antibiotics for a good 1-2 weeks....wouldn't you think that leaving an incision opened would just increase the risk for infection?

[Owensaunt]

Leaving the incision open depends on the amunt of damage has been done by a rupture. Obviously if it hasn't ruptured laproscopic is the standard method of removal. But in many cases when there is a rupture it has been ruptured for a few days. So by leaving it "open" and changing the packing is allowing the tissue regenerate and fill in the space that damaged tissue that's been removed has left behind.