Can Opening Up Of Stitches After Arthroscopic Surgery Lead To An Infection?

Posted on Wed, 18 Jun 2014

Question: I just had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee about 3 days ago while giving my five year old a bath my hand slipped on some water and I slammed my knee into the floor busting all the stitches on both side blood immediately starting squirting from the outer side with inner side just oozed I called my surgeon who ordered that I keep it dry reward in use cause and band aides to protect it but he is worried about an infection. I'm totally scared he said he would try to get a chance to see me Wed instead of the week after. I guess my question is am I doing this right ? How bad is this? Should I be worried about infection as well?

Answered by Dr. Mukesh Chugh (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Chances of Infection are really negligible

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thanks for posting
I have gone through your query carefully; let me assure you chances of infection are negligible as arthroscopic surgery is a minimal incision surgery that is without much of trauma to tissue. As you were allowed to walk around and other activity which suggest, that the surgery done was diagnostic and no hardware like screw or any other implant was used.
So my advice would be take rest, put a sterile dressing on the wound site with antibiotic cream like beta dine and bandage it, take Ibuprofen to reduce pain and avoid squatting.

Hope this helps. I shall be glad to answer any further query.
Take care
Dr.chugh, orthpaedic surgeon

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar