Infections are best avoided – especially before, during, and after surgery. But can you still have surgery if you have a minor infection? In this post we are going to discuss how infections from bug bites and other things can impact your surgical procedure.

Infections & Spine Surgery

Every surgeon does their best to prevent complications during and after a procedure. One of the best methods for preventing complications is making sure that conditions are ideal before performing surgery.

Infections, even from minor cuts or bug bites, can severely increase the risk of surgery. Because of this, most surgeons will wait to perform surgery until after an infection resolves.

Your surgeon will give you a thorough evaluation before the procedure to check for any existing infections. If an infection exists, your surgeon will likely reschedule your procedure while the infection dissipates. Performing surgery on a patient with an existing infection can increase the risk of an infection developing at the surgical site. This can, in turn, lead to a plethora of other problems that can be damaging to the patient. As such, it is in everyone’s best interest to take care of infections before surgery.

Extenuating Circumstances

Of course there are certain circumstances in which a surgeon may not be able to delay an operation while an infection resolves. For example, if a patient is gravely injured in a car crash and requires immediate surgery, there may be no choice but to proceed regardless of any present infections. However, in most cases, a surgeon will have more control of the situation and be able to resolve infections prior to surgery.

Be sure to communicate well with your surgeon prior to your procedure so they can best identify any existing or potential infections. Even if you’ve recently had a cold, tell your doctor.

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