5 Signs Your Surgical Wound Isn't Healing Properly

The wound started out small enough, but before you knew it, infection took hold and you’ve ended up battling a slow-healing foot, ankle, or leg wound ever since. You’re certainly not alone, as up to a third of people with diabetes will develop an infected diabetic foot ulcer, to say nothing of the scores of people who develop slow-healing wounds for other reasons.

Getting back to your wound, to contain the infection and spare your lower limb from amputation, you underwent surgical wound care with us here — perhaps a flap reconstruction, debridement, or external fixation.

Whatever the procedure, it’s more important than ever to prevent infection from taking hold again, which is why double board-certified surgeon Dr. Thomas Rambacher and our team at Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County want to review signs of infection here. 

While, overall, infection only develops in about 1% to 3% of surgical sites, you’re more at risk since infection was already present. In fact, this is referred to as a “dirty wound,” which describes surgical sites in which infection was present during the time of surgery. So, with that in mind, please pay close attention to the following:

1. Discharge or pus

You want to monitor your surgical site very closely for any signs of discharge or pus. If you notice a cloudy, thick substance oozing from the surgical site, please let us know right away.

2. A foul smell at the surgical site

If you notice a particularly bad odor coming from your surgical site, this could mean the presence of infection-causing bacteria. When bacteria feed and multiply, they release gasses that don’t smell all that great.

3. Warmth around the surgical site

A rise in skin temperature often means that your immune system is in full swing and fighting infection. So, if your surgical site starts to heat up and the skin surrounding the area feels warmer to the touch than other skin, this could signal a brewing infection.

4. A fever develops

Speaking of heating up, another sign of infection is an overall increase in body temperature. So, if your body temperature rises above 101 degrees Fahrenheit and you’ve developed chills and sweating, don’t delay in getting help.

5. An increase in pain

Lastly, a hard-to-ignore sign of infection after surgery is an increase in pain. Of course, some discomfort is normal after surgery, but if this pain increases or shows no signs of improving after a few days, please let us know so that we can monitor the surgical site more closely.

If you're at all unsure about whether there might be a problem with your surgical site, we urge you to err on the side of caution and contact us for guidance.

For any questions or concerns about healing after surgery, please don’t hesitate to call our office in Mission Viejo, California, at 949-832-6018 or request an appointment online today.