Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Pressure sores during a long hospital stay | CION Cancer Clinics
Bed sores after surgery are prevented mainly by changing position often, keeping skin clean and dry, eating and drinking enough, and checking the skin every day. A long stay after cancer surgery raises the chance, but most sores can be avoided. This page explains where they form, who is most at risk, what the family can safely do at the bedside, and what to ask before going home. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How do you prevent bed sores after surgery?
- Where do bed sores form, and who is most at risk?
- What can the family do every day on the ward?
- What do the words on the nursing chart mean?
- What do families believe about bed sores that is not true?
- What should the family do, and what should be left to nurses?
- What if a sore still develops, and what can this page not tell you?
- Common questions about bed sores after surgery
The short answer
How do you prevent bed sores after surgery?
Bed sores are prevented mainly by changing position often, keeping skin clean and dry, eating and drinking well, and checking the skin every day. Most pressure sores can be avoided, and families can help with every one of those things alongside the nurses.
What a pressure sore is
A pressure sore, also called a bed sore or pressure ulcer, is damage to the skin and the tissue under it. It happens when the same patch of body presses against a bed or chair for too long, so blood cannot reach the skin. It can start as a red patch and, if pressure continues, become an open wound.
Why a long stay after cancer surgery raises the chance
After a big operation you may be in bed with drains and lines, sleepy from pain medicine, and eating little. Cancer and its treatment can also leave you thinner, with less padding over bones. All of these make the skin easier to damage, sometimes within hours rather than days.
Why it is worth the effort
A sore can be painful, slow to heal and open to infection. It can lengthen the hospital stay and delay the next part of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Prevention is far easier than healing one.
Knowing where to look
Where do bed sores form, and who is most at risk?
Sores form wherever bone sits close under the skin and takes the weight of the body.
Lying on the back
- Base of the spine and buttocks
- Heels
- Back of the head and shoulder blades
Lying on the side or sitting
- Hip bone and side of the knee
- Ankles and elbows
- Sitting bones, if in a chair for long
Under medical equipment
Oxygen tubing behind the ears, a mask on the nose, a catheter or a tight stocking can all press on skin. Nurses move these, and you can ask them to check.
People at higher risk
- Older people and those who are very thin
- People with diabetes or poor circulation
- Anyone unable to move themselves
- People who are wet from sweat, urine or loose motions
- Those eating and drinking very little
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistAt the bedside
What can the family do every day on the ward?
Help with turning
Ask the nurse how often your relative should change position and how to help safely around drains and wounds. Adults at risk are usually moved at least every few hours, and more often if the risk is high.
Look at the skin
When the nurse turns or washes your relative, look at the heels, hips and base of the spine. Tell the nurse about any red patch that stays red after the pressure is off.
Keep skin dry
Tell staff straight away if the sheets or pad are wet. Moisture from sweat or urine makes skin soft and much easier to break.
Encourage food and drink
Skin needs protein and fluid to stay strong. Offer what the team allows, in small amounts often, and tell them if meals are going uneaten.
On the chart
What do the words on the nursing chart mean?
- Risk assessment score
- A checklist nurses fill in on admission and repeat, which shows how likely your relative is to develop a sore.
- Category or stage 1
- Unbroken skin with a red, or on darker skin a purple or darker, patch that does not fade when pressed lightly.
- Category 2
- A shallow open sore or blister where the top layer of skin has broken.
- Category 3 and 4
- Deeper wounds reaching the fat, muscle or bone. These take much longer to heal.
- Pressure-relieving mattress
- A special foam or air mattress that spreads weight or shifts pressure automatically. It does not replace turning.
- Moisture damage
- Sore, broken skin caused by wetness rather than pressure. It looks similar and needs different care.
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Commonly believed
What do families believe about bed sores that is not true?
"Rubbing the red patch with oil or powder will bring the blood back."
Rubbing damages skin that is already under strain. The right step is to take the pressure off that area and tell the nurse. A gentle moisturiser on dry skin is fine, but never massage over bony points.
"An air mattress means we do not need to turn him."
Special mattresses help, but position changes are still needed. Heels in particular can be damaged on any mattress, so they are often kept lifted on a pillow.
"A rubber ring cushion protects the bottom."
Ring cushions can press on the skin around the hole and reduce blood flow. Ask the team which cushion suits your relative.
"She should rest completely until she feels stronger."
Getting out of bed and moving, as soon as the team says it is safe, is one of the most useful things for skin, lungs and recovery.
Sharing the work
What should the family do, and what should be left to nurses?
Family can help with
Leave to the nursing team
Reminding and helping with position changes once shown how
Moving someone with a fresh wound, many drains or a spinal problem
Spotting red patches and wet sheets
Grading a sore and choosing a dressing
Offering food, water and encouragement to walk
Deciding when it is safe to get out of bed
Keeping bedding smooth and free of crumbs
Setting up or changing a special mattress
Being straight with you
What if a sore still develops, and what can this page not tell you?
Even with good care, some very unwell or immobile people develop a pressure sore. It is not always a sign that someone failed. What matters is that it is spotted early, recorded, and treated. You can ask the nurse in charge what category it is and what the plan is.
This page cannot grade a sore
Photos online and the descriptions here are not a way to judge how deep a sore is. Darker skin in particular can hide early redness. A nurse or doctor needs to look at it and feel the surrounding skin.
Going home from hospital
If your relative is still spending most of the day in bed, the risk goes home with them. Before discharge, ask the team to show the family how to turn and check skin, whether a special mattress or cushion is needed, and who to call in your district if a sore appears. Visiting nurses may be available through the hospital or local services.
A sore that smells, leaks, grows or comes with fever needs a doctor that day.Questions we are asked
Common questions about bed sores after surgery
How quickly can a bed sore form?
In a person who cannot move and is very unwell, skin damage can start within hours of lying in one position. Most people after surgery are moved and helped up regularly, which is why the risk stays low. Long operations and long ICU stays raise it.
Can a sore start during the operation itself?
Yes, particularly during very long operations, because you cannot move while under anaesthesia. The theatre team uses padding and supports to protect pressure points. Skin is checked after surgery, and any mark is recorded.
My father has a red patch on his heel. What should I do?
Tell the nurse today. Keep weight off the heel, usually by resting the calf on a pillow so the heel floats free. Do not rub it. The nurse will check whether it fades when pressed, which helps tell a warning sign from early damage.
Do we need to buy an air mattress?
In hospital, the team decides and provides one if it is needed. For home, ask the team whether your relative truly needs one and which type. A mattress helps only alongside turning, skin checks and good food, not instead of them.
Does diabetes make bed sores more likely?
Yes. Diabetes can reduce blood flow and feeling in the feet, so damage may not be noticed, and wounds heal more slowly. Heels and feet need extra attention. Keeping blood sugar controlled after surgery also helps skin heal.
What food helps prevent bed sores?
Enough protein and enough fluid matter most. Dal, eggs, milk, curd, paneer, fish or chicken, if allowed, all help. If eating is hard after surgery, ask the dietitian about small frequent meals or supplement drinks.
How long does a pressure sore take to heal?
Early red patches can recover quickly once pressure is removed. Open and deep sores can take weeks or months, and some need a small operation to clean them. Healing also depends on nutrition, blood sugar and how much the person can move.
Who is responsible for preventing bed sores in hospital?
The nursing and medical team lead prevention and record skin checks. Families add a lot by watching, helping and speaking up. If you feel turning is being missed, raise it calmly with the nurse in charge the same day.
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Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
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MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
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Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
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Dr. Vinay Mamidala
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Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
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Sources
- NHS — Pressure ulcers (pressure sores)
- NICE — Pressure ulcers: prevention and management (CG179)
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
ICU and the First Days After SurgeryWhat the first days in bed after surgery involveCaretaker and Family Guide to SurgeryHow families can help on the ward and at homeHospital-Acquired Infection: What You Can DoOther ways to lower risk during the hospital stayWound, Stitches and ScarsLooking after the surgical wound itself
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