Weight Loss Surgery and Risks of Surgical Wound Infection

Weight loss surgery, over the years, has advanced to a point that very few surgical complications arise. If you are about to undergo any type of weight loss surgical procedure, it is important to become familiar with not only the complications that can arise in response to a change in your digestion but also what risks may develop in direct response to the surgical wound.

In a weight loss surgery today, a wound is necessary as an incision is made to access the digestive system. If you are undergoing surgery with a bariatric sleeve, a gastric bypass, or simply a lap band procedure, you can expect there will be a surgical wound in the location where the surgery took place. Understanding how to care for that wound will become an essential part of your healing and overall health care.

A pinkish white discharge, at the surgical site, is expected in the hours and days following a weight loss surgery. This drainage will typically last as long as seven days and normal and necessary for your healing process. If the surgical site becomes more swollen, inflamed, and redness develops, this could be indicative of an infection for which antibiotics are necessary to fight any bacterial complications

Without proper treatment of the surgical wound site following weight loss surgery, infection may develop and this may cause more pain and complications than necessary. When a surgical wound site becomes infected, beyond antibiotic therapy, your physician may also recommend that you undergo treatments for wound therapy. With wound therapy care, your doctor will assign a home health nurse who will come to your home and change the dressing daily, providing antibiotic packing to the wound site.

In most cases of weight loss surgery, the surgical wound is not complicated with proper care. Only in rare cases are there further health risks that must be addressed. If you are concerned about your weight loss surgery outcome, be sure you speak with your doctor about the wound care instructions and follow those instructions carefully to give your wound the best opportunity for proper healing.

Sources: Weight Loss Surgery, Merle Goldberg