How can you prevent infection after surgery?

Wash hands.: Assuming some sort of incision was made during the surgery, the most basic thing you can do is make sure you and whoever is taking care of you washes their hands frequently and thoroughly. What we don't want happening is to have any germs get into those incisions and cause bad things to happen. Also listen to your doctor's advice about physical therapy and avoiding tobacco.

Get w/the Guidelines: Surgical infections have more to do with what i can do as a surgeon rather than anything my patients do. There are well-established guidelines that, when followed, can lower infection rates. These include using antibiotics within 1hr. Prior to surgery, appropriate skin cleansing, short operative times, and getting anything "foreign" (catheters, tubes, ivs, etc.) out as soon as possible.