Colon Surgical Site Infection

What is it?

An infection that occurs after a patient has colorectal surgery that occurs at the body site where the surgery took place. While some infections only involve the skin (superficial), others are more serious and can involve deeper tissues, organs, or implanted materials. The value shown below is a Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR), which is the ratio of the actual number of infections to the expected number of infections during the measurement period. An SIR below 1.0 indicate that the numbers of infections after colon surgery are below the number of expected infections.

colon-surgery-infection-ratio-2024

What can you do to protect yourself from surgical site infections?

  • Before your surgery, discuss other health problems, such as diabetes, with your doctor. These issues can affect your surgery and your treatment.
  • Quit smoking. Patients who smoke get more infections.
  • Follow your doctor’s instructions for cleaning your skin before surgery.
  • Avoid shaving near the area where you will have surgery. Shaving your skin with a razor can irritate your skin and make it easier to develop an infection.

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