The surgeon may also elect to start the patient on antibiotics, particularly if there is a lot of redness around the wound. By following these measures, the vast majority of wound infections heal without any problem. It may require one to three weeks for the skin to completely heal, depending on the severity of the infection. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to return to the operating room to surgically remove dead tissue and improve the drainage of infected fluid. Long-term infected wounds may heal with a worse scar than normal.
Cellulitis is a redness of the skin around the surgical site.
This may be mild and just indicate normal inflammation that occurs after surgery, or it may be the sign of an early infection. A slight amount of redness around a skin incision is to be expected. More severe redness will need to be examined by the doctor. Treatment may include continued observation, antibiotics alone, or surgical drainage in conjunction with antibiotics. The treating physician will make this decision.