Abdominal binders

I was wondering if anyone know of any evidence (for or against) using abdominal binders on abdominal surgery patients, in order to support a cough?

Thanks in advance.

Hi there,
I can testify that good abdominal support is essential if you want to achieve an effective cough after surgery involving the abdominall wall I had an old fashioned cholecystectomy with a scar a mile long and used to wait till the largest nurse came into the ward, and ask her to hold a towel firmly across my scar with her not inconsiderable weight so that when I coughed there was no movement of the abdominal wall.
However a binder on all the time would be very uncomfortable and would have to be removed and replaced regularly to allow for inspection of the wound. Therefore if the ward staff - and for that matter family as well - can be trained to hold the towel down very formly and lean on it with all their weight, so that there is no abdominal movement when the patient coughs, effective expectoration is usually achieved quickly with only one or at the most two coughs.
try it - it works!

I could not agree more. I came across a post operative cholecysectomy case where the anterior abdominal wall had burst because of excesive coughing ofcourse with inadequate support).

hi
the incidence of abdominal bursting in post op cholecystectomy patient,i think might not be due to coughing without adequate support.the reasons wat i have read are-infection in the incision site,increase in serous fluid collection and suture material fault.

Why not give the patient some independence and teach him/ her how to support the wound?