The global modern views on incision care have been agreed upon by over 100 surgical experts from across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa1
After 12 international consensus meetings between 2019 and 2025, they agreed on two essential principles. 1
1. Post-operative dressings should be changed only when clinically necessary. This principle of undisturbed wound healing reduces the risk of wound contamination, supports healing, lightens clinical workload and decreases costs.
2. The ideal post-operative dressing should:
- Be flexible , enabling patient movement
- Fix well to the skin
- Be highly absorbent
- Protect the skin from damage, such as blisters
- Be showerproof
- Eliminate dead space between the dressing and wound
This consensus reflects a global commitment to progress. It sets out a clear standard, one that ensures surgical skill in theatre is carried forward into every patient’s recovery.