If you have a suspicion, it is best to return to your surgeon to confirm if the wound is truly infected. There are 3 levels of infection:
- Superficial: the infection affects only the skin
- Deep: the infection affects the muscle and tissue
- Organ/space: the infection affects the organ or space where you had surgery
Some signs of surgical wound infections include pus, redness, and pain around the area. Some people also experience fever.
An infection can happen because of exposure to our environment. It could also be because of improper wound care.
If you do have an infection, your surgeon is likely to open the wound to allow the pus to drain. He may take some culture from the wound and may then prescribe you with appropriate antibiotics.