Wound digitation was a completely new concept I had only heard of before my fifth pilonidal sinus surgery, yet it is one of the most important components of successful and healthy recovery.
Prior to going private with Mr Carapeti, I had been told to avoid touching my open wound. The idea of interfering with the healing process by touching it was something I would never have thought to do.
It made complete sense at the time. Why would you want to touch a healing wound?
However, wound digitation is crucial to ensure you heal correctly during the aftercare of pilonidal sinus surgery; this detailed guide will explain what it is, what it’s important and how you can digitate your wound successfully.
What Is Wound Digitation?
Wound digitation is the process of rubbing your finger along the wound from top to bottom. This may feel uncomfortable at first, but is an extremely important concept for wound healing.
Why Is It Important?
It’s extremely important that you digitate to prevent the wound from healing too fast.
It will allow healthy tissue to formulate from the base of the wound to the top, stopping the top layer of skin from closing over and healing too quickly.
How To Digitate Your Wound
The process of wound digitation is simple, but I have some useful advice from my experience of doing it every day following my final (and successful) pilonidal sinus surgery.
Firstly, get into a routine. I would combine it with my shower timing (I have a detailed shower guide during pilonidal sinus recovery that you can also check out) and kill two birds with one stone.
When in the shower, place Dermol 500 Lotion – an antimicrobial emollient – onto your finger and firmly rub the inside of your wound, up and down. Make sure to rub up and down multiple times.
The first few times that you carry out wound digitation, you may experience some bleeding. Do not panic, this is completely normal. The bleeding will likely stop after a few more days of digitating.
How Often Should You Digitate Your Wound?
Simple – every day!
From my experience, I did not start my wound digitation immediately after my pilonidal sinus surgery due to the pain I was feeling.
Therefore, I recommend that you wait at least 3-5 days before starting. This will allow your body to stabilise and recover from the surgery and you will physically, and mentally, be ready to digitate your wound.
Once you feel comfortable and confident, you should then be digitating daily in the shower.
Does Wound Digitation Hurt?
No, digitating your pilonidal sinus wound should not hurt. You may feel some discomfort when you first start, but you will get more familiar with the feeling the further into the process you go.
You should now be ready and understand the importance of wound digitation in pilonidal sinus recovery. Be confident, be strong and give yourself the best chance of a successful recovery from surgery.