Symptoms · After an operation
A wound that is red, hot, swollen or leaking after an operation
The short answer
Some redness, mild swelling and a little clear or pink fluid are normal in the first days after an operation. A wound infection usually shows after a few days, with increasing redness, warmth, pain, swelling, pus or a bad smell, often with fever. Call your surgical team the same day if you think the wound is infected. Go to the emergency room if the redness spreads fast, you have a high fever, or the wound opens.
How patients describe it
- The stitches are red and hot
- Pus coming from my wound
- My wound opened
- Swelling under the scar
- Fluid soaking the dressing
Go to the emergency room now if you have
- Fever above 38°C, or shaking chills
- Redness that spreads quickly
- Pus, a bad smell, or a wound that opens
- Severe or increasing pain
- Heavy bleeding that soaks the dressing
- Feeling very unwell, with a fast heartbeat
What can cause it
Normal healing
A thin pink line along the cut, slight tenderness and a little swelling that settle.
Next step: Keep the wound clean and dry.
Wound infection
Spreading redness, warmth, increasing pain, pus, and often fever.
Next step: Call your surgical team today; antibiotics, and sometimes drainage.
A collection of fluid or blood under the wound
A soft swelling under the scar without much redness (a seroma or bruise).
Next step: Examination; most settle by themselves.
Irritation from the dressing or tape
An itchy red rash exactly where the tape or glue was.
Next step: Tell your team; a different dressing may help.
A wound that opens, or a hernia at the wound
A gap in the wound, or a bulge under the scar.
Next step: See your surgeon.
What you can do now
- Keep the wound clean and dry, and follow your dressing instructions
- Wash your hands before touching the wound
- Do not squeeze or pick at it, and do not put creams on it unless you were told to
- Take a photo each day to show changes to your team
- Do not stop prescribed antibiotics early, and do not take leftover antibiotics
- Call your team today; do not wait for your next appointment
Tests your doctor may order
- Examination of the wound
- A swab of any pus
- Blood tests if you have a fever, and an ultrasound if a fluid collection is suspected
When is surgery needed?
- Most wound infections settle with antibiotics and dressings.
- A collection of pus may need to be opened and drained.
- A wound that has opened may be left to heal with dressings, or closed later.
Questions people ask
When is redness normal?
A thin pink line along the cut in the first few days is normal. Redness that spreads, with heat, pain, pus or fever, is not.
Can I shower?
Waterproof dressings usually let you shower safely. Follow your surgeon's instructions.
How common is a wound infection?
After keyhole gallbladder or appendix surgery, about 1–3 in 100 people have a wound infection.
This page gives general information and does not replace the advice of your treating team. In an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room.