Having a surgical procedure now days is so common that there are about 51.4 million every year, which means there is more of a chance of developing the common issue with surgery called a surgical site infection (SSI). SSIs are caused by many factors prior, during, and after the surgical procedure. There are ways to prevent an SSI as a patient prior to and after the surgical procedures (since of course the patient is under anesthesia during the procedure). Knowing what SSIs are, what causes them, and how to prevent them will help prevent the patient from getting severe complications relating to infections resulting to being admitted to the hospital or increase hospital stays.
SSI is an infection occurring where the surgical procedure took place. For example, if the patient has a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder), the SSI may be somewhere in the abdominal (stomach) area. SSIs can occur as a superficial, deep, organ or space, and implanted material infections. A superficial is an infection in the skin where the incision was made for the surgical procedure. A deep is an infection under the incisional are in the muscle and tissues surrounding the muscles. An organ or space is an infection that occurs anywhere else other than tissues or muscles such as a body organ or the space between the organs. Lastly, the implanted material infections (such as mesh for a hernia repair) occurs when the implanted material was contaminated prior to and during inserting the material into the patient.
What causes SSIs are related to what kind of surgical procedure it is, and other risk factors related to patient habits or prior surgical/medical history. SSIs related to surgical procedures are identified as surgical wound classifications which are clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty. Clean wounds are not inflamed, contaminated, or involved operating on the internal organ. Clean-contaminated wounds mean that there is no evidence of infection but does involve the internal organ which is being operated on. Contaminated wounds are when operating on the organ results of internal fluids within the organ spilling out in the surrounding areas within the body cavity. Lastly, dirty wounds are when there is an infection present prior to the surgical procedure. The other risk factors to SSIs are having a surgical procedure lasting more than 2 hours, having history of other medical problems or diseases, being elderly adult, being overweight, being a smoker, have a weak immune system, having cancer, having diabetes, having emergency surgery, and having abdominal surgery.
What do you as a patient have to watch for relating to SSI's?
Redness and pain around the surgical area
Cloudy fluid draining from surgical area
Fever
What are ways to help prevent developing an SSI as a patient? Prior to the surgical procedure, tell your doctor about your past medical and surgical history. Having diabetes, allergies, and obesity can determine the outcome of recovery relating to developing an SSI. If you currently smoke, quit smoking. Smoking leads to a high-risk of developing an SSI and poor wound healing. Do not shave the skin area prior to the surgical area that is being operating on. Shaving leads to small open cuts which bacteria can enter prior, during, and post-surgical procedure leading to an SSI. After your surgery, always have your health provider (nurse or doctor) have clean hands prior to touching the surgical area, never let your friends or family touch the surgical area without cleaning their hands. Lastly, you yourself must have clean hands prior to touching the surgical area. Washing hands with soap and water is the number one way to prevent an SSI.
Resources
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/surgical-site-infections Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board