How to Avoid Infection After Surgery
Even though the chances of developing an infection after your procedure at Specialty Surgical Center are very low, surgery naturally makes the body more susceptible to developing an infection. First, the body is under stress, and the stress is only amplified when the patient is nervous about the procedure and loses sleep. This makes the immune system do a worse job at protecting the body from infection. But most dangerous of all, the warm, moist incision wound can be a breeding ground for bacteria that now has direct access into the body. Still, to reiterate, according to the Centers for Disease Control, patients only have a 1-3% chance of developing a surgical site infection.
There are still steps that should be taken to avoid a surgical site infection. Most importantly, patients should follow the post-op instructions on the Specialty Surgical Center website. Vital tips to follow include:
- Wash your hands every time you need to touch the surgical area
- Do not soak in a bathtub
- Follow the regular bathing instructions as directed by the surgeon
- Call the nearest hospital if an emergency occurs to avoid infection
The Specialty Surgical team will follow precautions like giving you antibiotics and possibly shaving the surgical area with electric clippers before the surgery to avoid surgical site infections, but in order to do your part, you must also follow your surgeon’s instructions about handling your wound or changing the bandages.
During the healing process, patients should look for signs of infection. Sudden redness, fever, and the presence of white pus or drainage are all indicators of infection. Call your primary care physician or Specialty Surgical Center if you have these symptoms, because antibiotics may need to be prescribed.
Finally, a good way to avoid a surgery site infection is to keep bacteria away from the wound. This means that you should not shave with a razor around the incision site. Razors irritate the skin and increase the risk of infection. Sponges are also bacteria breeding grounds so if you are instructed to take a sponge bath, make sure that your sponge is clean.
The risk of infection after surgery is very low! As long as our patients follow post-operative care instructions from their surgeon, the recovery stage should be smooth sailing. If you are at all concerned about infection after your surgery or forgot what the surgeon told you, please do not hesitate to call our reception desk.
Specialty Surgical Center is located in Sparta, New Jersey and our staff consists of board certified surgeons and anesthesiologists performing procedures in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Spinal Care, Podiatry, Urology, Pain Management, ENT, Hand Surgery, Lithotripsy, Brachytherapy, GYN and Laser Surgery.
For more information about Specialty Surgical Center, call 973-940-3166 or visit our Contact Page.