Your surgeon will do everything in their power to reduce the likelihood that an infection will develop following your knee or hip replacement procedure, but it’s impossible for them to get this risk down to absolute zero. You also play a role in warding off a potential infection after joint replacement surgery, so being informed about their onset and the steps you should take after surgery can help to lower your overall risk. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why infections can develop after joint replacement surgery and how you can work to lower your risk of developing a post-op infection.
Infection Risk After Joint Replacement Surgery
Infection onset is one of the more “common” risk factors associated with joint replacement surgery, but overall, the issue is quite rare. In fact, the infection rate following joint replacement surgery is roughly 1 percent, meaning that 99 out of 100 patients should not have to deal with the development of an infection. However, when they do develop, they can cause a number of significant issues for your new joint and your body as a whole.
Bodily infections are caused by the presence and growth of certain bacteria. Bacteria play a key role throughout your body, as the right balance of bacteria ensures ideal gut health. However, if bacteria enters our body through a cut or makes its way into our bloodstream, problems can develop. Your immune system works to kill off foreign invaders and stop an infection before it develops, but it’s not always easy to do this following a joint replacement procedure.
Your artificial joints are made of metal, plastic or a similar material, and it’s difficult for your immune system to kill bacteria that makes it to these implants. Because the implant doesn’t receive any blood flow, your immune system has a hard time identifying and responding to the bacteria’s presence. This makes it hard for the body to kill the bacteria off in time before it multiplies and leads to the onset of an infection.
Your surgeon will work to keep the surgical site disinfected, but you also need to do your part during your recovery period while the wound site continues to heal. Avoid touching the incision site, work to clean it regularly and don’t let the incision site get wet while the wound closes, and you can lower your risk of allowing bacteria to enter the area. Even after the surgical site has closed, you’ll want to be mindful of other ways that bacteria can enter your body. Common infection causes unrelated to your original surgery include:
- Improper care of cuts or other wounds on the body
- Major dental procedures
- Subsequent surgical procedures
Although medications and antibiotics can sometimes be helpful for different types of infections, oftentimes the best way to manage a surgical site infection after a joint replacement surgery is with another operation. This will ensure all infection tissues can be removed and the affected area completely sterilized. Unless the infection is completely removed, there is a good chance it returns, which is why surgery is so often pursued when an infection develops at the replacement joint.
Contact a Joint Replacement Surgeon – Dr. Herman Botero
We don’t write all of this to scare you, because as we mentioned above, surgical site infections following joint replacement are very rare, especially when you are proactive caring for your incision site. However, the more you know about these infections, the more likely you are to be able to avoid their onset and their invasive treatment requirements.
For more information about Dr. Botero’s track record of preventing surgical site infections after joint replacement surgery, or for answers to other questions about knee or hip surgery, reach out to his team today at (865) 558-4444.
