Infections are one of the leading causes of surgical failure and hospital readmission, so it is imperative that doctors and patients work hard to reduce the likelihood that an infection will develop. You may assume that preventing an infection is largely out of a patient’s hands, but that’s just not true. While you may not be able to completely eliminate your infection risk, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your risk of an infection after shoulder surgery. Below, we take a closer look at what patients can do to reduce their risk of an infection after shoulder surgery.
Preventing Infections After Shoulder Surgery
Have a conversation with your shoulder specialist prior to your operation to learn about some of the ways that you can reduce your risk of a surgical site infection. Odds are they will recommend one or more of the following techniques:
- Healthy Diet – Make sure that you consume a healthy diet in the days leading up to and after surgery. When your body has access to all the vitamins and nutrients it needs, it can provide a boost to your immune system and help fight off infections.
- Limit Alcohol Consumption – Alcohol can also affect your immune system, but in a negative manner. There are a number of reasons why you’ll want to curtail or eliminate your alcohol consumption leading up to and after your shoulder operation, and reducing your infection risk is one of them.
- Opt For Laparoscopic Surgery – You can reduce your risk of an infection by finding a surgeon like Dr. Holloway who is well-versed in minimally invasive surgery. If your operation can be performed through a series of smaller incisions, the wound site will close quicker, which in turn reduces the likelihood that bacteria can make their way into your bloodstream. If possible, consider having your operation performed with laparoscopic (minimally invasive) techniques.
- Proper Wound Care – Once your operation is complete, you will want to make sure that you follow your surgeon’s instructions for caring for the incision site. Keeping your incision site clean may be a little more difficult than expected depending on the location of the incision, so make sure that you enlist the help of another person if you cannot easily view the site or change your bandages as necessary. Regularly change your dressing and keep the area clean and dry to reduce your infection risk.
- Take Medications As Directed – You may be given some medications to help lower your infection risk. Be sure to take any medication as directed by your physician.
- Stop Smoking – Smoking can damage blood vessels and make it harder for healthy, oxygenated blood to make its way around your body. Healthy blood aids in wound healing, so if smoking is inhibiting blood flow, healing may be delayed and your infection risk may increase. Really work to stop smoking before and after your shoulder operation. If you need help quitting, please let your care team know.
We’ll do everything in our power to reduce your risk of an infection after shoulder surgery, but you play a big role in reducing infection risk as well. If you follow the above tips and trust your surgery to Dr. Holloway and his team, we know you’ll have a high likelihood of avoiding a post-op infection. For more information, or to set up an appointment with Dr. Holloway, give his office a call today at (865) 410-7887.
