Safety of early postoperative showering in level-1 and level-2 surgical wounds: a retrospective study

Aim: Surgical site infections pose a significant challenge in postoperative care, traditionally managed by keeping wounds dry. However, recent studies indicate that early postoperative showering may not increase infection risk. This study aimed to assess the impact of permitting tap water showering 24 h after surgery, specifically evaluating its impact on infection rates in level-1 (clean) and level-2 (clean-contaminated) wounds within the field of plastic surgery. Materials & methods: Patients from the Plastic Surgery Department at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan were selected. All patients underwent surgery by the same surgeon and were permitted to shower 24 h post operation. The primary outcome was the rate of postoperative wound infections. Data collected included demographics, comorbidities, wound characteristics, anesthesia type and surgical details. Results: A total of 106 patients were included, with a mean age of 48.5 years and a mean BMI of 24.61 kg/m². Males comprised 51.9% of the cohort, with hypertension present in 17.0%, diabetes in 7.5% and smoking in 8.5%. The median albumin level was 4.3 g/dl, and the trunk was the most common injury site (39%). The average operation duration was 40.1 min, with a median wound healing time of 15 days. Remarkably, only one wound infection occurred within 30 days, resulting in an infection rate of 0.9%. Conclusion: Early showering after plastic surgery does not compromise infection outcomes, supporting the safety of this practice for patients with level-1 or level-2 wounds.