'Surgery selfies' post operation could cut down on doctor visits, study says

A new study is suggesting that the simple act of taking photos of post-surgical wounds on a cellphone could be a tool in helping to spot infections early and cut down on complications following surgery.

The idea is called taking a ‘surgery selfie,’ and a study from the University of Edinburgh published in the journal npc Digital Medicine on Thursday has found that they are associated with fewer visits to the doctor and improved advice from physicians for patients.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, there have been big changes in how care after surgery is delivered. Patients and staff have become used to having remote consultations, and we’ve shown we can effectively and safely monitor wounds after surgery while patients recover at home,” Dr. Kenneth McLean, a clinical research fellow at the University of Edinburgh and co-lead of the study, said in a press release. “This is likely to become the new normal.”

According to the release, the third-largest cause of death globally is death that occurs within 30 days of surgery.

In the study, researchers recruited adults who had received abdominal surgery at two tertiary hospitals between July 2016 and March 2020. Out of the 429 patients, 269 were given routine postoperative care, while 223 were also given access to a “wound assessment tool” through a smartphone.