Table of contents:
- Signs and features of infection after surgery
- Will I definitely catch an infection after surgery?
- Postoperative infections may appear after you are discharged from the hospital
After undergoing surgery, you will usually be hospitalized for a few days so that the team of doctors can monitor the body's recovery process - whether any problems or complications arise after the operation. One of the common complications after surgery is infection, both in the body and at the suture area of the wound, although the symptoms can be different. If you experience one or more of the following signs of infection after surgery, contact your doctor immediately for appropriate treatment.
Signs and features of infection after surgery
Infection after surgery mostly occurs in the surgical scar, but it does not rule out if you have an infection in another part. Here are some of the signs and features that generally appear if you have an infection after having surgery:
- Malaise. Malaise is a term that describes a set of symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, and dizziness. This condition is common when a patient has an infection. Due to fatigue and feeling very weak, you may fall asleep longer than usual.
- Fever. Apart from feeling extremely tired, patients who have recently undergone surgery often experience fever. A fever is a sign your body is trying to fight off infecting bacteria. However, you don't need to worry if you have a low-grade fever that only reaches 37 degrees Celsius, because this condition is normal. Call your doctor if your fever is more than 38 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, if the infection after surgery occurs on the surgical scar, the symptoms that will appear are:
- Swelling and redness around the surgical wound
- It hurts when you touch it
- The surface in the wound area feels warmer
- There was bleeding from the surgical wound
Will I definitely catch an infection after surgery?
Almost all people who undergo surgery must be attacked by various bacteria that have the potential to cause surgical wound infections. The reason is, there are many bacteria around you, including in the air, which are ready to attack you. However, during this time you are not infected because it is protected by the skin which is able to prevent bacteria from entering the body.
The skin is the body's first defense system to prevent bacteria from infecting the body. Meanwhile, when you undergo surgery that requires the body to be operated on, it can damage the skin tissue. This increases the chance for bacteria to enter and infect your body. However, the chance of infection after surgery is small, only occurring in 1-3% of the total cases. This is because the infection after surgery is also affected by the immune system of each patient. In addition, infections that often occur include urinary tract infections to diarrhea.
Postoperative infections may appear after you are discharged from the hospital
If you experience these characteristics while still in the hospital, then you will immediately get the right treatment. But be careful, this condition can also occur when you are at home. If an infection occurs when you are at home, you must immediately see a doctor in order to get proper treatment.
