Abstract

LOPEZ-BAGO, Ana; GONZALEZ REYES, Rafael Eduardo; RUIZ SANTANA, José Eduardo  and  RIVERA JIMENEZ, Jesús. Immunity and inflammation in the surgical act. Rev. Fac. Med. (Méx.) [online]. 2018, vol.61, n.4, pp.7-15. ISSN 2448-4865.

Every surgical procedure results in a direct trauma to the organism because of an exposure to molecules that are not normally found in the extracellular environment, yet they can be recognized by the immune system and initiate an acute inflammatory response resulting in the production of messenger proteins called pro-inflammatory cytokines. This will produce changes in the connective and vascular tissues, leading to vasodilation and afterwards, the reléase of fluid into the extracellular space, allowing leukocytes and the soluble effector proteins to reach the injury in order to respond to the aggressor’s stimulus with innate and adaptive mechanisms. Once the aggressor’s stimulus has been controlled, the normal physiological response will lead to the production of anti-inflammatory mediators that will allow an adequate tissue repair. In this way, the injured tissues by the surgical lesion will return to its normal state.

Keywords : Surgery; inflammation; immune response; tissue repair.