Preventing Infection

• Hibacleanse soap is an antibacterial wash used the night before surgery and the morning of surgery to reduce bacterial burden on the skin in order to reduce the incidence of postoperative wound infection.
• The OR’s used by the orthopedic surgeons at MMC are orthopedic dedicated rooms, which mean the general population of the hospital is not sharing these facilities.
• Laminar flow system of air flow in the operating room reduces contamination.
• To reduce the contamination from the operating team “Space Suits” are worn. This system consists of a helmet with a battery-operated fan, gown made up of a special fabric which does not wet with water or blood, thus maintains the sterility throughout the surgical procedure. The visor helps in preventing sweat and saliva droplets from contaminating the wound.
• Antibiotics will be running through an IV during surgery, and three more doses will be administered over the course of the next 24 hours.
• An Aquacel dressing is applied over the incision while still in the operating, under sterile conditions. These bandages are bio-occlusive, antibiotic impregnated, and waterproof. They remain on for 2 weeks, keeping the incision sealed off from the outside environment until it is healed. The use of these dressings reduces superficial surgical site infections.
• The Joint Replacement Center on the Bean 2 wing, although under the roof of MMC, is very separate from the rest of the hospital. Patients undergoing elective joint replacement surgery are typically very healthy, thus the spread of germs is minimal.