As a patient, you can take action - before and after surgery - to decrease your risk for postoperative wound infections.

1. Control your diabetes.  Patients with diabetes are at much higher risk of wound infections after surgery, so try to tightly control diabetes in the weeks leading up to surgery.
2. Quit smoking.  Smokers have a higher rate of wound infections after surgery. For certain orthopedic surgeries, not only is the rate of infection higher for smokers, but the rate of fusion of the bones is also reduced.  To get the most benefit, quit smoking a month or more before surgery and dont' slip back into the habit afterward.
3. Don't shave the surgical area before surgery.  Although it may seem like a good idea, using a razor to shave the surgical area actually compromises the body's natural barriers and increases risk of infection.  There are times when hair needs to be removed, but that is a responsibility best left to the operating room staff.
4. Use antibacterial washes.  There are many surgeries where it is appropriate to bathe with antibacterial washes for one or more days before surgery.  The bacteria that cause surgical infections can come from a number of locations, but they typically come from your own skin, gut or respiratory tract, depending on the location of the incisions. Therefore, body washes may play a big role in reducing the risk of surgical infections. Check with your surgeon.
5. Keep wounds clean. It is important to keep wounds dressed, to change dressings when they are soiled and to keep hands away from the wound. Anyone handling a wound should have clean hands, either from handwashing or alcohol hand cleaners, and wear gloves.