About the surgery

You are going to have an abscess removed. An abscess usually forms when the openings from small glands in the lower layers of the skin – such as sweat or sebaceous glands – become blocked. If an abscess is not treated, it will often burst on its own and the pus will drain, but this is usually not enough. Surgery allows us to remove all the infected material and clean the wound. 
The procedure is done under local anaesthesia. 
 
You can expect to go home on the same day as your surgery.

The surgery

You will have local anaesthesia

You will be awake during the surgery, but the area around the abscess will be anaesthetised.

The surgery

Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, the doctor will make an incision in the abscess, drain the pus and clean the wound. 
The wound will not be closed with stitches but will heal from the bottom up to prevent the abscess from returning.

At home

The following section tells you what to watch out for when you are back at home.

Discomfort or pain

Take pain-relieving medicine

You must take pain-relieving medicine for as long as you need it. For most people, this is about 3 days.  We recommend that you take the medicine at fixed times for 3 days after the surgery:

Do not take ibuprofen if you have chronic bowel disease (Crohn’s disease), have had a stomach ulcer, or if your own doctor advises against it for other reasons.

In some cases, you may need stronger pain relief, which you will receive to take home from the hospital.

Care and hygiene

Rinse the wound every day

Until the wound has healed, it may leak blood and fluid. You must rinse the wound and the surrounding area with lukewarm water morning and evening. Avoid getting soap in the wound. Dry the skin thoroughly afterwards, and if needed, apply a dressing or plaster to protect your clothes. 
We advise against taking baths or going to swimming pools until the wound has healed, as this increases the risk of infection. You are allowed to swim in the sea.

Movement and rest

Return to your daily activities

When you return home, you may resume your usual daily activities and move around as you normally do. Listen to your body and take a break if you feel pain that is not relieved by your pain medicine.

Practical information

Sick leave

Whether you need sick leave depends on your individual situation. If you do need sick leave for a period, you can get a sick leave notice from your own doctor.

When to seek medical attention

Contact us if you notice signs of infection (Open phone contact)

During the first 3 days after the surgery, you can contact Kirurgisk Modtageafsnit KMO (Surgical Admissions Unit (KMO)) directly without calling your own doctor first. We call this open phone contact. Please contact us if you experience:

• redness, warmth, swelling or tenderness around the wound
• increasing pain 
• a temperature above 38°C

If it happens more than 3 days after the surgery, please contact your own doctor or call the emergency helpline 1813 outside your doctor’s opening hours.