Postoperative wound infection after orthopedic, vascular, abdominal, or cardiac procedures.
Postoperative wound infection after orthopedic, vascular, abdominal, or cardiac procedures.
Common signs and symptoms can vary by wound type and severity.
A clinician evaluates the wound together with the factors that may delay healing.
Any postoperative wound with new fever, expanding redness, purulent drainage, or dehiscence should be evaluated within 24 hours. Early recognition prevents progression to deep space or organ-space infection.
Healix360 supports access to advanced mobile wound care services for patients throughout our coverage area. Services are delivered by licensed physicians and nurse practitioners experienced in the evaluation and management of chronic and complex wounds, including surgical site infections after discharge. Care is coordinated and provided directly to patients in private residences, assisted living communities, and skilled nursing facilities.
Our clinicians coordinate with the operating surgeon, obtain wound cultures when indicated, manage antibiotic stewardship, and apply appropriate antimicrobial dressings or negative pressure wound therapy. For deeper or dehisced wounds, we use staged debridement, NPWT with instillation when appropriate, and serial photography to track healing trajectory and inform any return-to-OR decisions.
The majority of superficial and many deep surgical site infections can be managed in the home or skilled nursing setting with antibiotics, debridement, and NPWT, avoiding hospital readmission and preserving any underlying hardware or repair.
Most superficial SSIs appear within 30 days of surgery. Infections involving implants or hardware can present up to 90 days post-op or later.
Many SSIs can be managed at home with oral or home-infusion antibiotics, NPWT, and serial debridement. We coordinate with your surgeon and escalate to hospital care only when deep space infection, sepsis, or hardware compromise is suspected.
Yes. We send progress notes and wound photographs to the operating surgeon and follow their preferences regarding antibiotics, drains, and any planned return to the OR.
Yes, in many cases NPWT can be safely applied over exposed hardware or grafts when used per manufacturer guidelines and with appropriate interface dressings, but the decision is made jointly with the surgical team.
Postoperative wound care for an SSI is typically covered by Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage, and most commercial plans. We verify benefits before initiating care.
Call 877-545-1300 or request a provider to begin care. Healix360 serves Southern California and Nevada and accepts Medicare Part B and most major insurance plans.