Surgical Site Infection Following Dermatologic and Plastic Surgery in an Office Setting

Surgical site infections (SSI) in skin surgery are rare but can cause significant patient discomfort and increase treatment costs.

To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of SSIs in outpatient dermatologic and plastic surgeries and to highlight effective prevention strategies.

We conducted a retrospective chart review of outpatient performed procedures between 2012 and 2024. The inclusion criteria were Class I (clean) and Class II (clean-contaminated) surgeries, which required wound approximation.

Among the 8,742 procedures performed during the study period, seven infections (0.08%) were identified, with significantly higher rates in complex procedures (1.42%) than in simple closures (0.06%). The hair-bearing regions showed a trend toward a high infection risk.

Although a single-center, retrospective study, it included a large sample size with a broad age distribution and representation of various anatomical areas. The incidence of SSIs in this study was extremely low compared with previous studies. We emphasize the importance of proper surgical techniques, cautious use of subcuticular sutures for hair-bearing regions, and comprehensive patient education on postoperative care.