Precautions we take to prevent infection
What we do and what you should do
Orthopedic surgical procedures (as opposed to general surgery and otorhinolaryngology) fall under the category of ultra-clean surgery. Therefore, infection rates seen in orthopedic surgery are very low compared to other types of surgery. In cases where implants such as prostheses, nails and plaques are used to fix the fracture, the risk of infection becomes even more important because often the treatment of the infection is not possible without removing these implants. Although all precautions have been taken in international studies, the incidence of infection after knee prosthesis is reported as 2-4% and 1-2% after hip prosthesis. Prosthetic infection rate of the Çankaya Orthopedics group in their patients is 0.5%. In addition to what we do to prevent infection, you also have to do.
What precautions are we taking to prevent infection?
Precautions to prevent infection
Operating room conditions are one of the most important factors in infection control. In addition to regular maintenance and controls of the sterilization unit, orthopedic operating rooms have special HEPA filter ventilation systems. In this way, we ensure that micro-organisms in the operating room environment are minimized. We check the samples taken from the operating room air regularly to check for undesirable increases in the number of bacteria. We use waterproof paper-plastic mixture sterile drapes in all orthopedic surgeries. These drapes are not wetted and waterproof unlike conventional fabric drapes, reducing the risk of infection, especially in prosthetic and arthroscopic surgeries where washing systems are used.
It has been shown that performing surgical procedures by an experienced team in a short time and decreasing the traffic of the operating room reduces the infection rates. We emphasize these two issues. During prosthesis surgery, we use special clothing (similar to space suits) and caps with its own ventilation system that completely isolates the surgical team from the patient. These garments are very effective in preventing germ transmission from the surgical team to the patient.
In hospitals where operating room conditions are good, germs that cause prosthetic infections are usually caused by bacteria that live on the patient's skin. In order to minimize these bacteria, we use special iodine plastic covers adhering to the skin following skin cleaning with special solutions before surgery. These drapes adhere to the skin and provide great advantages in preventing deep-reaching bacteria from reaching the surgical site.
We use special pressure washers in all prosthesis operations. With these disposable gun-shaped devices, we both reduce the number of bacteria in the surgical field and provide a better fill of the pores of the bone, a so-called bone cement filler used to attach the prosthesis to the bone. With this robust fixation, we extend the service life of the prosthesis.
In all prosthesis operations, we apply intravenous antibiotic protection, which begins 24 hours before surgery. In addition, we reduce the infection rate with regional antibiotic release in the early postoperative period by adding antibiotics to the bone cement we use.
Preventing implant infection, which is one of the most undesirable complications after orthopedic surgery, requires serious teamwork. We provide necessary trainings to all hospital staff under the coordination of our infection control officer. Our infection control nurse regularly monitors the infection rates and preventive studies, as well as monitoring the operating room and sterilization data.
What can you do to reduce the risk of infection?
Body cleaning is very important in infection control. You should shower and wear clean clothes for two consecutive nights before surgery. If necessary, your doctor may give you special sponges containing chlorhexidine and ask you to wash your leg or arm with them the night before surgery. You should avoid shaving the operation area yourself. Shaving should be performed by experienced staff in the hospital immediately before surgery.
Smoking increases the risk of infection by reducing blood flow in the vessels. It is very important that you stop or reduce smoking two weeks before a scheduled surgery. It is very important that you do not smoke for 3 weeks after surgery. In smokers, it has been proven that wound healing is delayed, bone union is adversely affected and lung complications are seen at a much higher rate.
Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of infection by at least twice. It is very important that your blood sugar is below 200 mg / dl before surgery. If you use insulin, the need for insulin will increase after surgery. You must inform your doctor about your sugar medications.
Immunosuppressive drugs are used in many diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis. Some of these drugs delay wound healing and increase the risk of infection. If you are taking these medications, you will need to stop them 7-10 days before the operation. You should consult your doctor and plan which medications you should stop and when to start again.
The number of visitors in your room increases the risk of infection. There should be a maximum of two people in your room before and after the surgery, and visits should be kept short.
8AXX
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