Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1541321
12 EXECUTIVE BRIEFING 1 EXECUTIVE BRIEFING From preoperative planning to postoperative recovery, a surgeon's role involves continuous decision-making that extends well beyond the confines of the operating room. They navigate a constant risk-versus-reward balance, identifying opportunities to prevent complications throughout the care journey. Often, they must weigh variables both within and beyond their control — such as patient optimization and compliance, along with decisions around product selection, technique and overall cost. These are just some of the challenges they evaluate while staying focused on delivering the best possible outcomes, which is always their top priority. To explore best practices in approaching these challenges, Becker's Healthcare spoke with three leading surgeons who share common threads in their wound irrigation strategies. Antonia Chen, MD (Dallas, Texas), Edward Karpman, MD, of El Camino Health (Mountain View, Calif.) and Ian Weber, MD, of the Joint Replacement Center (Westminster, Colo.) collectively perform over 1,000 procedures annually and have each engaged in and followed wound irrigation research for decades. They shared insights, strategies, and firsthand experience on optimizing wound irrigation to support successful outcomes, including shared perspectives on the complexities of wound irrigation and the role of Irrisept® Antimicrobial Wound Lavage in modern wound care protocols. A physician can look to reduce complications before entering the OR Patient selection and optimization challenges can present several pitfalls in wound management. Dr. Weber emphasizes the importance of this assessment, a task that takes place even before setting foot in the OR and believes this is an area that deserves more attention. Although there are limits to a surgeon's control over patient readiness, Dr. Weber believes there are opportunities to mitigate risk by understanding medical conditions or comorbidities that can impede the healing process. Focusing on nutrition and reducing or removing harmful behaviors like smoking can reduce the chances of unfavorable outcomes. "You've got to create a good host. You've got to create a situation where you can encourage or facilitate good wound healing. Making sure protein levels are up, not only for wound healing, but to prevent atrophy after surgery," Dr. Weber said. Proactive assessments and targeted optimization strategies can meaningfully reduce the likelihood of complications. While no gold standard exists, evidence- based solutions do As Dr. Chen notes, there's no single protocol that guarantees a complication-free outcome. "There is no holy grail that is going to prevent wound complications," she said. "There is no one gold standard telling surgeons, 'If you do this, then you won't get a wound complication.' It doesn't exist." However, in addition to patient readiness, there are intervention techniques and specific products that do make a difference. Use of specific products, and the research that supports their use, can be evaluated. For wound management, preventing wounds from becoming problems for patients requires consideration of various products for suturing, dressings and, very critically, wound irrigation. Evidence for wound irrigation Although there are many solutions available, not all are created equally or have the evidence to back their use. These surgeons found that a chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)-based option provided added benefits that historic irrigation solutions didn't offer. Exceptional wound care: Proven strategies from 3 leading surgeons