Panel Discussion- Infection Prevention- Post-Operative Evidence & Protocols .

Emil Schemitsch

FRCSC

Professor, University of western Ontario

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Thomas Wood

FRCSC

Assistant Professor, McMaster University

Mohit Bhandari

FRCSC, PhD

Distinguished University Professor, Chair of Surgery, McMaster University

In this panel discussion on infection prevention in arthroplasty, experts emphasize that no single intervention is sufficient; instead, incremental gains arise from coordinated pre-, intra-, and postoperative strategies. They highlight patient optimization—particularly smoking cessation, BMI reduction, and glycemic control—along with efficient surgical technique, operating room discipline, timely and appropriately dosed antibiotics, and vigilant temperature management to avoid perioperative hypothermia. Small improvements across multiple steps, rather than any one innovation, are viewed as the key path toward lowering already low but consequential infection rates.