A 52-year-old man undergoes elective open cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstones. The procedure is uncomplicated, and the wound is closed with interrupted 2-0 silk sutures in a single layer. On postoperative day 5, the patient presents with erythema, warmth, and purulent discharge from the wound. Wound culture grows Staphylococcus aureus. The wound edges are not separated. What is the PRIMARY pathophysiological mechanism underlying this complication?

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