Surgeries that include major incisions have a risk of inviting infection during the healing period. It is essential to take care of that area and take preventive measures to avoid an infection. Surgical site infections are common, affecting two to five percent of surgeries involving incisions, even small ones.
Infected stitches can pose a risk to your health. During or after the surgery, bacteria find their way into the incisional site and the skin. Infections typically occur a month after the surgery. If your surgery wounds are taking longer to heal, bio-engineered skin grafts in San Antonio can give you better results.
Signs that your surgical wound is infected:
-
Redness and Swelling
Experiencing some redness and swelling around the surgical areas is normal after surgery. The human body takes a few days to fight off bacteria and other infections. Your doctor can tell how much redness and swelling is expected after the surgery. If these signs persist for more than a week, it is a sign of infection. Red streaks from the wound are another sign of an infection.
-
Heat
When you develop an infection, your body sends white blood cells to the infection site to fight off the bacteria. The energy that goes into fighting the bacteria produces heat, and thus, the wound becomes hot to touch. This condition should only persist for a few days after the surgery and should subside on its own. If that does not happen, you need to inform your doctor.
-
Hardening of the Incision
An incision that gets infected gets hard. This happens because the tissues underneath the incision become inflamed.
-
Foul-smelling Pus
If you see a white, yellow, or green discharge that smells bad coming out of the incision, it is a confirmed sign of an infection and needs to be examined by your doctor to prevent further damage. Ordinary drainage is usually clear or yellow and clears in a few days. On the other hand, pus is a mixture of various matter, such as dead cells, white blood cells, etc.
-
Pain
One can expect minor to moderate pain for a while during their recovery period. However, this pain should start to decrease after the surgery and not get worse with time. If you find your pain increasing even after taking the proper medications and following your doctor’s instructions, you may need medical attention.
-
Fever
One of your body’s classic ways of fighting a viral and bacterial infection is fever. When your immune system detects pathogens in your body, it increases your body temperature to kill the intruders. Experiencing fever for a couple of days is normal. If the condition persists longer than that, it may be a medical emergency.
