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What happens during a skin debridement procedure?

What happens during a skin debridement procedure depends on the severity of the wound and the type of debridement being performed. 

Irrigation can be done anywhere--from your home to an operating room in a hospital. Small wounds that are clean require minimal irrigation, which can be done anywhere. Large wounds, extremely dirty wounds, or wounds in dangerous areas like the face or neck may be irrigated using special tools in an operating room. 

Enzymatic skin debridement is almost always done at the bedside. These creams, ointments, and solutions are applied to wounds which are then covered in bandages and allowed to soak overnight or between wound treatments. 

Surgical skin debridement can actually be done at the bedside. Many wounds have areas that have no nerve endings and don’t cause pain if cut or trimmed. These wounds may be debrided at the bedside. More intense surgical skin debridements for large or complicated wounds may be done in an operating room under anesthesia. In the operating room, a surgeon will use scalpels, scissors, and needles to test the skin and determine what areas are healthy and what areas need to be removed.

What is skin debridement?

What are the different types of skin debridement?

How do you know if a wound needs skin debridement?

When should a wound not be debrided?

How long does it take for skin to heal after debridement?

How do wounds heal after debridement?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

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