Back to All Conditions

Specialized Treatment

Post-Surgical Wound Treatment | Surgical Site Infection & Wound Dehiscence Care in Los Angeles County

Mobile post-surgical wound care specialists serving Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Kern County. Expert treatment for surgical wounds that won't heal, surgical site infections (SSI), wound dehiscence, seroma drainage, hematoma evacuation, and post-operative complications after surgery. Advanced care including wound debridement, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT/VAC), infection management with wound cultures, skin substitutes, and wound reconstruction. Board-certified wound care specialists provide in-home treatment after orthopedic surgery, abdominal surgery, cardiac surgery, and vascular surgery. Medicare Part B covered mobile wound care serving Beverly Hills 90210, Anaheim, Irvine, Riverside, San Bernardino, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, and all Southern California.

"Surgery Successful. Wound Failing. Not Our Problem Anymore."

Your surgeon fixed your medical problem brilliantly. Surgery went perfectly. But now—2, 3, 4 weeks later—the incision won't close. It's draining. Maybe infected. Edges pulling apart. And when you call the surgeon's office? "Keep it clean, it'll heal on its own. Come back in 3 months."

You've Just Discovered the Post-Surgical Wound Gap:

Surgeons are trained to perform procedures, not manage complex wound healing complications. Once you're discharged and the "surgical warranty expires," you're often left to figure out wound care on your own. That's where we come in.

The Five Phases of Post-Surgical Wound Abandonment

Here's the typical journey patients experience when their surgical wound fails to heal. Sound familiar?

1

Phase 1: "This is Normal" (Weeks 1-2)

You notice the incision looks off—red, draining, maybe edges separating slightly. You call surgeon's office. Nurse says "Some drainage is normal, keep it covered, follow up in 2 weeks." You trust them and wait.

What's actually happening: Infection establishing. Biofilm forming. Every day lost increases healing time by 3-5 days.

2

Phase 2: "Let It Heal from Inside Out" (Weeks 2-4)

Follow-up appointment. Surgeon removes staples/sutures. Wound gaps open 1-2cm. "We'll let it heal by secondary intention—pack it with gauze and change daily. It'll close from the bottom up." You're sent home with gauze and saline.

What this means: They're giving up on primary closure. Wound will take 2-6 months to fill in, leave bigger scar. But with advanced care, could close in 4-8 weeks.

3

Phase 3: "It's Not Healing Right" (Weeks 4-8)

You've been packing gauze for a month. Wound looks the same—or worse. Smells bad. Constantly draining through dressings. You call again. "Keep doing what you're doing, these things take time." You're going through boxes of gauze, hours of daily dressing changes.

What's wrong: Biofilm preventing closure. Wound stuck in inflammatory phase. Needs debridement + advanced dressings, not gauze packing.

4

Phase 4: "Here's a Referral" (Weeks 8-12)

Surgeon finally admits this isn't normal. Writes referral to wound clinic or plastic surgeon. But earliest appointment is 4-6 weeks out. "Just keep packing it until then." You're 3 months post-surgery living with an open wound, unable to shower properly, changing dressings 2x daily.

The frustration: You've lost 3 months to "wait and see" when you needed intervention at week 2.

5

Phase 5: "We Should Have Started This Sooner" (Months 3-6)

You finally see wound specialist. They debride the wound, start advanced therapies, maybe wound VAC. Within 4-6 weeks, it finally closes. The specialist comments "If we'd seen you at week 2, this would've been closed in a month." You've spent 6 months dealing with something that could've been resolved in 6 weeks.

The lesson: Surgical wound problems need wound specialists immediately, not surgical follow-ups indefinitely.

The Three Ways Surgical Wounds Fail (And Why)

Understanding what went wrong helps you advocate for proper treatment:

Surgical Site Infection

Happens: 2-5% of all surgeries, higher in abdominal/contaminated cases

Looks like: Purulent drainage, spreading redness, increasing pain, fever

Why surgeons miss it: Early infection looks like "normal inflammation." By time it's obvious, biofilm established.

Needs: Cultures, targeted antibiotics, possible I&D (incision & drainage), aggressive debridement

Wound Dehiscence

Happens: Days 5-10 post-op when sutures under maximum tension

Looks like: Sudden gush of fluid, visible gap, edges separated, sometimes organs visible

Why it happens: Tension, infection, poor nutrition, coughing/straining, steroids

Needs: If shallow, wound VAC + aggressive closure attempts. If deep (fascia), surgical emergency—return to OR.

Chronic Non-Healing

Happens: Weeks 2-4, wound just...stops progressing

Looks like: Clean but not closing, granulation tissue flat or absent, edges not contracting

Why surgeons struggle: They don't have wound closure tools beyond "wait"—no access to biologics, wound VAC, advanced dressings

Needs: Debridement to restart healing, moisture-retentive dressings, possibly skin substitutes/grafts

Surgeries Most Likely to Have Wound Problems (Know Your Risk)

If you had one of these procedures, you're at higher risk for wound complications—watch your incision closely:

Abdominal Surgery

  • C-section (especially emergency, diabetics, obese)
  • Colorectal surgery (bowel bacteria contamination)
  • Bariatric surgery (tension + metabolic issues)
  • Hernia repair (mesh complications, recurrence)
  • Any "dirty" surgery (perforated bowel, abscess)

Why: Abdominal wall under constant tension from breathing, moving. Contamination from bowel flora.

Orthopedic & Vascular

  • Amputation sites (poor circulation by definition)
  • Joint replacement (infection catastrophic)
  • Spinal surgery (long incisions, can't see them)
  • Bypass grafts (leg circulation already compromised)
  • Diabetic foot surgery (neuropathy + PAD)

Why: Poor blood flow delays healing. Orthopedic infections require hardware removal = disaster.

Breast & Gyn Surgery

  • Mastectomy (especially with reconstruction)
  • Hysterectomy (abdominal approach highest risk)
  • Tumor resection (large tissue removal)
  • Obesity-related surgeries (pannus removal)

Why: Large dead space created. Tension. Radiation history impairs healing.

Emergency Surgery

  • Trauma surgery (contaminated wounds)
  • Emergency laparotomy (unprepared bowel)
  • Necrotizing fasciitis debridement (multiple surgeries needed)
  • Any surgery after sepsis/shock

Why: No time for proper prep. Body in crisis mode, not healing mode.

What Healix360 Does That Your Surgeon's Office Can't/Won't

We specialize in exactly the thing surgeons don't: getting failed surgical wounds to actually close. Here's how we do it:

1

Aggressive Debridement (The Reset Button)

Cut away all the accumulated inflammatory tissue, biofilm, exposed sutures, unhealthy granulation. Create fresh bleeding wound base that's capable of healing. This is the single most important intervention surgeons don't do post-discharge.

"But it looked clean!"—it wasn't. Microscopic biofilm coating everything. Debridement resets the wound to Day 0 of healing cascade.

2

Wound VAC (Negative Pressure Wound Therapy)

Suction device pulls wound edges together, removes exudate, increases blood flow. Turns a wound that would take 3-6 months to close into 4-8 weeks. Why your surgeon didn't offer this: They don't manage wound VACs post-discharge. We do.

Medicare covers wound VAC for post-surgical wounds. We set it up, train you, manage it, no hospital visits needed.

3

Cellular/Acellular Skin Substitutes

For wounds that plateau after 3-4 weeks optimal care, we apply biologic grafts (amniotic membranes, dermal matrices). Provide scaffolding + growth factors that kickstart stalled healing. Especially effective for large abdominal wounds.

These products cost thousands. Your surgeon doesn't stock them. We bring them to your home.

4

Advanced Moisture-Retentive Dressings

No more gauze packing. We use modern dressings—foams, hydrocolloids, alginates, antimicrobials—matched to wound phase and drainage level. Change every 3-7 days instead of twice daily.

Proper dressings cost $20-50 each. Medicare covers them. Your surgeon sends you home with $2 gauze.

5

Infection Management with Targeted Cultures

Quantitative wound cultures (not swabs—deep tissue sampling). Identify specific bacteria and sensitivities. Prescribe targeted antibiotics, not broad-spectrum guessing. Use antimicrobial dressings to reduce bioburden without systemic antibiotics.

❌ Surgeon's "Wait and See" Timeline

Week 2: "Keep it covered, follow up in 2 weeks"

Week 4: "Let it heal from inside out, pack with gauze"

Week 8: "These things take time, keep packing"

Week 12: "Here's a referral to wound clinic"

Month 6: Finally sees specialist, closes in 6 weeks

Total time to closure: 7-8 months

✅ Healix360 Intervention Timeline

Week 2: You contact us, seen within 48 hours

Week 2: Debridement + advanced dressings started

Week 3: Wound VAC applied if needed

Week 4: Biologic graft if not progressing

Week 6-8: Wound closed

Total time to closure: 6-8 weeks

Medicare Covers Post-Surgical Wound Care

Mobile wound visits, debridement, wound VAC, advanced dressings, skin substitutes, infection management. Medicare Part B pays 80%, Medigap typically covers remaining 20% (you pay $0).

Your surgeon may not know what's covered for post-surgical wounds. We do—we handle all paperwork and prior authorizations. Coverage details.

Stop Packing Gauze for Months. Close That Wound in Weeks.

Your surgeon did their job—they fixed your medical problem. Now let us do ours: close the wound that won't heal. We typically see patients within 48 hours of contact. Bring mobile advanced wound care to your home.

✓ 48-Hour Response  •  ✓ Wound VAC Available  •  ✓ Medicare Covered