Incarceration makes a patient’s post op management more complex. Care of an inmate must take into consideration limitations on postoperative care. The incarceration may prevent the surgeon from seeing a patient directly. In most cases, follow-up opportunities for wound care, medication management, etc., become the province of the facility’s medical staff; the surgeon may have input about the care, albeit remotely. Further, any medical care decisions must also account for the demographics of the inmate population, the security personnel, and general public safety issues.
Treatment of incarcerated patients medical expert witness specialties include prison medicine.