Wound reopening after surgery

When a surgical incision opens and requires closing again after surgery, it is called wound dehiscence.

Wound dehiscence is potential complication of any abdominal surgical procedure that involves stitches.  It exposes the patient to potential infection and a repeat surgery. While some patients or procedures have higher risks than others, some of these complications may be preventable. A lower rate may indicate that a hospital provides a higher level of patient care.

About this measure

This measure tracks the number of patients who developed abdominal wound dehiscence in the hospital following a surgery out of every 1000 patients who had elective surgery and stayed in the hospital four days or more.

In this case, a lower number is better.