Post-operative complications: Signs of infection after surgery

Taking care of a post-operative wound can sometimes be a daunting task. Unlike minor wounds, post-operative wounds come with a higher risk of more severe infections. It is important to know the signs to look out for to avoid complications like infection. 

 
If you know how to properly dress and clean your surgical wound you shouldn’t experience any issues. However, if you notice anything unusual about your surgical wound like infected stitches, this article will help you identify when you can manage symptoms yourself or when you should seek medical assistance.

If you have an infected operation wound or infected stitches it will usually occur within the first month, so keep an eye out for any symptoms but remember that some characteristics could just be part of the normal healing process.

If your surgical wound has infected stitches or sutures, they may need to be removed by the surgeon to prevent prolonging the infection. Signs of infected stitches or infected operation wound include: 

• Fever 
• Delayed healing  
• Puss, discharge and discolouration 
• Increased pain and redness 
• Tenderness and swelling 
• Wound gaping or increased in size 
• Hot to touch 
   
  For more information for identifying issues with surgical stitches and how they work, read our article all about stitches.

Infections can develop in severity, as it spreads deeper into the affected site. This is why it’s important to identify it early and work out how far along it is so you can administer the appropriate treatment.  
 
Types of infection include: 

• Superficial: Only affects the skin area 
• Deep: Infection reaches deeper layers like muscle and tissue 
• Organ: The infection has reached organs and the space the operation was carried out on

Scarring can occur at the end of the healing process of injuries that affect the epidermis and underlying dermis because the organism is not able to replace the destroyed, highly specialised tissue in the same way. Instead, the tissue is repaired by large amounts of newly produced collagen. To help reduce scarring, follow these simple tips:

Infected operation wounds can usually be treated with a simple round of antibiotics at home. More serious infections may require further surgery and reopening of the wound to properly clean it or drain any cysts.

Depending on the type of wound you may need to wait 48 before getting your surgical wound wet, but be sure to consult your doctor to get the go-ahead. 
 
Avoid bathing with your wound as this could soften the site and risk it re-opening. Bath water will also generally be less clean than shower water so showering will be better for avoiding infection. Learn more about caring for surgical wounds here.

Though it is not unsafe to expose your wound to sunlight, it might lead to discolouration as the wound will tan at different rates to the surrounding area. For this reason, it’s best to keep it covered and protected.

Replace the bandage and redress the wound to ensure the site is clean. Apply pressure for a few minutes to help the wound clot again and if it continues to bleed, consider seeking medical assistance.

Wound dehiscence describes separation of wound opening as a result of improper healing. It often requires further surgery as there may be dead or infected tissue which requires removal so the wound can heal. 
 
All cases of wound dehiscence require immediate medical attention to prevent it progressing to a more serious infection, delayed healing and subsequent surgeries and hospital stays. If you suspect your wound has dehisced contact your medical practitioner straight away.

A lot of infections can be minor however look out for the following warning signs which could require urgent medical attention 

• High temperature (38°C) 
• Numbness or signs of lack of circulation  
• Nausea, problems urinating or constipation  
• Consistent bleeding  
• The wound increases in size 
• Unpleasant odour or oozing puss

Surgical wound infections are easily preventable if you carry out the proper aftercare as advised by your doctor. To find out how to properly care for, clean and dress your surgical wound after coming home from the hospital read our article on post-operative wound care.