Keeping you safe

At Salem Hospital, we go to great lengths to minimize your risk of complications such as infection. Our operating rooms are equipped with sophisticated air filtration systems to minimize infection and we follow the highest standards of safety and quality to ensure best outcomes� As a member of Mass General Brigham, we follow the same safety protocols as Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s hospitals�

All patients will be treated with a topical antiseptic and will receive antibiotics over a 24-hour period before, during and after surgery� Your surgeon and surgical assistants will wear masks, sterilized gowns and two pairs each of sterilized gloves that are frequently changed� Some surgical teams wear sterile, completely enclosed “space suits” for even more protection Your team will carefully wash and sterilize your surgical site to keep risk to an absolute minimum

Following your surgery, you will need to tell other health care providers about your joint replacement and take oral antibiotics before undergoing even minor procedures, such as dental cleanings, to reduce the chance that an infection in another part of your body will spread to your artificial joint.