What to know about surgical site infections

A surgical site infection is an infection that develops where a surgeon cut, in the days and weeks after an operation. Clinicians sort these infections by depth. Some stay in the skin and the fat just under the incision. Others reach the muscle layer and its covering. A third kind sits in the organ or space that was operated on, such as a joint or the abdomen. Depth matters because it shapes the treatment: a shallow infection may be handled by opening part of the incision and giving antibiotics, while a deep one can mean another procedure. Whatever the depth, the surgical team makes the diagnosis and directs treatment. Wound follow-up is what comes next, the regular checking and dressing of the incision while it recovers.

What the treating clinician looks at

The first visit starts with the story of the operation. The treating clinician wants to know what procedure was done and when, whether mesh, hardware or a joint implant was placed, and what the surgical team has done about the infection so far. That includes whether the incision was opened, whether a culture was taken, which antibiotic was prescribed and when it is due to end. Gateway requests the operative and discharge records so the clinician is not relying on memory alone. With that background, the clinician examines the wound and sets a dressing plan that fits the surgeon’s instructions.

Arranging this care in Wentzville

From Wentzville, the surgeon’s office and the hospital where the operation took place can be a long drive, and sitting in a car is uncomfortable with a sore, draining incision. Wound follow-up at home reduces how often that drive is needed. Many family caregivers here commute, so a daytime dressing change may fall when no one else is in the house. Tell us who is home and when. Gateway works with the treating clinician and, if ordered, home health to plan for the changes a working family cannot do.

Much of the housing in Wentzville is new: two-story homes in large subdivisions, townhomes, apartments and villas built with older adults in mind. Closer to the old downtown there are smaller, older houses, and the outskirts still have homes on acreage. Assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing are available in and near the city. Gateway arranges visits with partner clinicians in all of these settings. When a parent has moved in with adult children, we make sure the family member who manages the care is included in scheduling and updates.

When care happens at home

Home visits for an infected surgical wound are set at intervals the treating clinician chooses, and they often become less frequent as the wound settles. At each visit the clinician removes the dressing, examines and measures the wound, and redresses it. The dressing changes that fall between visits are done as ordered by a home health nurse, a caregiver who has been shown how, or you. Gateway schedules the visits, confirms the address and any access details, and sends the clinician’s update to the surgeon’s office, so your surgeon knows how the wound looks without waiting for your next appointment.

For residents of nursing and senior living communities

Many people who develop a surgical site infection are already in a skilled nursing or rehabilitation center, recovering from a joint replacement, a hip repair or abdominal surgery. There, facility nurses change the dressing and take vital signs, and the attending physician oversees medical care. The treating wound clinician adds a focused wound exam at each visit, writes or recommends orders according to the facility’s process, and talks with the nurses who see the incision every day. Gateway arranges those visits with the facility and routes the clinician’s notes to the surgeon, so the three teams are reading the same record.

Signs to tell the clinician about

Between visits, the dressing and the skin around it tell you a lot. Contact the treating clinician or the surgeon’s office if you notice:

  • Redness or darkening of the skin that extends past where it was yesterday
  • Drainage that soaks through sooner than it used to
  • Fluid that turns thick, cloudy or foul smelling
  • Skin edges that pull farther apart
  • A firm, tender or soft, swollen lump beside the incision

Call 911 for heavy bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure, if tissue from inside the body bulges through an open abdominal wound, or if the person becomes confused, faint or very short of breath.

How primary care fits in

Blood sugar and infection push each other in the wrong direction. Infection and the stress of surgery tend to raise glucose, and high glucose makes it harder for white blood cells to do their work and for new tissue to form. People with diabetes often see their readings change during a surgical site infection, and some people learn they have diabetes only when an incision is slow to recover. A primary care clinician can review the readings and decide whether the diabetes plan needs attention during this period. Gateway can arrange primary care alongside wound visits, so the two clinicians share what they find.

Primary care at home in Wentzville →

How to get started in Wentzville

Setting up wound follow-up after a surgical site infection for someone in Wentzville usually goes in this order:

  1. You call 314-325-0126 or send the request care form, which asks only for a name and phone number.
  2. Gateway talks with you about the wound, the address and the insurance.
  3. We confirm availability for that location and gather records for the treating clinician.
  4. The clinician visits, assesses the wound and writes the orders.
  5. We follow up on supplies, the next visit and communication with your other clinicians.

You do not need a confirmed diagnosis to start.

When you call about care in Wentzville, have the address, the subdivision name and a nearby cross street, since newer streets are not always on older maps. Also have a phone number, the doctor’s name and any discharge instructions. Gateway coordinates care in Lake St. Louis, O’Fallon, Dardenne Prairie and across St. Charles County too. Wentzville sits at the western edge of the county, so visit availability is confirmed by location and care setting before anything is scheduled.

  • County: St. Charles County, Missouri
  • ZIP codes: 63385
  • Nearby hospitals: SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital in Lake Saint Louis; Progress West Hospital in O'Fallon (not affiliated with Gateway)
  • Nearby communities: Lake St. Louis, O'Fallon, Missouri, St. Charles County, Dardenne Prairie
  • Care settings: Private homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and rehabilitation

More wound care in Wentzville

Read the full guide to surgical site infections, or see everything Gateway arranges on the mobile wound care in Wentzville page.

Common questions

Can a clinician come to a home in Wentzville to check an infected surgical incision?

Gateway arranges home visits from partner clinicians for wound follow-up after a surgical site infection. Whether a visit can be set up at an address in Wentzville depends on location and care setting, which we confirm when you call 314-325-0126. Gateway is not an emergency service. If your surgeon told you to go to the emergency department for certain symptoms, follow that instruction.

Who changes the dressing on the days between visits?

The treating clinician’s orders say how often the dressing is changed and who may do it. Depending on the wound and the setting, that may be a home health nurse, facility nursing staff, a family caregiver who has been taught, or the patient. If the wound is deep, in a spot you cannot see or reach, or simply more than you are comfortable with, say so. The clinician can adjust the plan.

Is a surgical site infection contagious to the people I live with?

Ordinary contact such as sitting together or sharing a meal is generally not a concern. Bacteria can spread through direct contact with wound drainage or used dressings. The usual precautions are washing hands before and after touching the dressing, bagging used materials and not sharing towels. If the culture showed a resistant type of bacteria, or someone at home has a weak immune system, ask the treating clinician whether more steps are needed.

Do I need a doctor’s referral to start wound care in Wentzville?

No referral is needed to call. Patients, family members and caregivers in Wentzville can contact Gateway directly at 314-325-0126. We will ask who the patient’s doctor is so records can be requested and the treating clinician has the background. Doctors’ offices, hospitals and facilities can also refer on a patient’s behalf.

General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.