Surgical physiology of wound healing: a review

The healing of wounds caused by accident, assault, welfare and surgical operations has always been a central consideration in surgical practice because any breach in continuity of skin or mucous membrane exposes the deeper tissues to the danger of infections. The understanding of the mechanism of wound healing has increased dramatically during last few years. Today wound healing abnormalities are among the greatest causes of disability and deformity. "I dressed the wound, God healed it" (Ambroise Pare) wound healing involves multiple complicated events. It is the amount and quality of scar tissue and ultimately its remodelling that is of greater importance. The understanding of this process of wound healing and factors affecting it forms the basis of any surgical procedure.