What are surgical wounds?
A surgical wound is the cut or incision the surgeon makes in your skin during surgery. Even though modern surgery involves many precautions to prevent contamination, any break in the skin can become infected.
Without advanced wound care, a surgical wound can develop a serious infection. This may lead to gangrene and amputation. Dr. Wahab and the team at Wound Care Experts are dedicated to reducing the risk of amputation by bringing advanced wound care to hospitals and outpatient wound care facilities in the area.
Who is at risk for surgical wound infections?
About 1% to 3% of surgeries result in a surgical site infection. Certain factors may increase your risk for a surgical wound infection, including:
- Smoking
- Being overweight
- Having diabetes
- Having a weakened immune system
Older adults are also more likely to get a surgical wound infection. Some types of surgeries carry more risk of infection than others, such as emergency surgeries and abdominal procedures.
What are the symptoms of an infected surgical wound?
It’s important to carefully monitor a surgical incision to make sure it’s healing properly. Infections can affect the skin as well as tissues beneath the skin. Signs and symptoms of a surgical site infection include:
- Delayed healing
- The presence of pus
- Increased pain and redness
- A foul smell
- Fever
An infected surgical wound may look like it’s dried out or deeper than it should be. If you think you have an infected surgical wound, notify your doctor right away. Infected surgical wounds require prompt medical care to reduce the risk of amputation.
What treatments are available for infected surgical wounds?
Dr. Wahab and the team at Wound Care Experts stay on the cutting edge of advanced wound healing. They apply comprehensive wound analysis and use research-based treatments, such as negative pressure wound therapy and stem cells, to prevent surgical wounds from resulting in amputation.
They provide wound care consultations and treatments for patients as well as educational programs for health care providers. If you have questions about a surgical wound, call Wound Care Experts or book an appointment online today.
