Although it may sound obvious, a new study found that showering or bathing after ankle surgery but before having your sutures removed has not been linked to an increased likelihood of developing a foot infection.
The study was conducted to determine if a patient was at a greater risk to develop an infection if they got their wound wet before having the sutures taken out.
Researching the Hypothesis
For their study, researchers analyzed nine different studies that involved over 2,150 participants. The patients were asked to preform their normal hygiene routine for five days immediately after undergoing foot or ankle surgery, with one caveat. The control group would not be allowed to get their wound wet, while the test group would be instructed to get their wound wet, but only for a set period of time.
Researchers found no increase in post-op wound infection or wound complications, but they added that some variables were not controlled, such as:
- What type of soap was used to clean the wound
- What type of water was used during bathing
- The exact location of the surgical site and/or surgical procedure
- The surgeon’s method of closing the wound
Despite not controlling for all aspects of the study, Dr. Paul Dayton, researcher on the study, said the findings could help doctors when prescribing a post-op regimen.
“The results of these studies showed that no basis exists for recommending that a patient avoid showering or bathing a surgical incision site as part of their normal daily hygiene during the healing process,” said Dayton.
Dr. Silverman comments
Stop the presses! Cleanliness doesn’t lead to greater surgical site infection; go figure!
That said, this is a great study that disproves one of the common misnomers of medicine.
It is my opinion that as soon as wounds are safe to clean (sealed and not draining), showering is safe. Before that, using soap and water to clean the wound is safe. I only delay this step if the dressing or casts are holding the tissues in a specific position.
Related source: Healio.com