Incision

How it is used

Used when describing surgical wounds: 'a small incision', 'a midline incision', 'keyhole incisions'. Nurses check the incision site for redness, swelling, heat, discharge or gaping. Patients usually say 'the cut' or 'the scar'.

Example sentences

1. The incision is clean and dry, and the edges are well together.

2. She had a small incision near her belly button for the camera.

Common collocations

• surgical incision
• incision site
• midline incision
• make an incision
• small incision

Related terms

• sutureA stitch or a line of stitches that holds the edges of a wound or surgical cut together while it heals; also the thread used for this.
• woundDamage to the skin and the tissue under it, caused for example by an injury, an operation or long pressure.
• drainA tube placed near a wound or inside the body during surgery to let blood, pus or other fluid flow out into a bag or bottle.
• dressingA covering put on a wound to protect it, absorb fluid and help it heal, such as a gauze pad, a film or a foam dressing.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• incision · Veterinary Medicine

More terms: Wound Care

• pressure ulcer
• heal
• exudate