Prepping a patient for surgery usually involves shaving areas where incisions are to be made. Some surgeons believe it is important to remove anything that might obstruct their view. Others see shaving as a way to eliminate bacteria that cling to the hair and can contaminate the surgical site. But research suggests that shaving a patient's skin before surgery may raise the risk of an infection.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), surgical site infections are a leading cause of complications among hospital patients.
A study published in the journal Spine looked at a group of patients having spinal surgery and found that while postoperative infections were low over all, they were more common among patients who were shaved for surgery than among those who were not. The reason, experts say, is that shaving with a razor blade causes microscopic nicks in the skin that can become bacterial breeding grounds.
In its guidelines for preventing surgical site infections, the CDC recommends that hair not be removed unless it will interfere with the operation. When shaving is necessary, electrical clippers that have lower rate of infection should be used. The bottom line is-shaving before surgery can raise the risk of a postoperative infection.
Source: The New York Times