Noninfectious Wound Complications Research Articles

When is it safe to operate after the failure of therapeutic steroid injections in carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a multifactorial neuropathy caused by the compression of the median nerve due to its entrapment as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. It accounts for nearly 90% of neuropathies and usually presents as numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain. These symptoms are predominantly present in the thumb, second finger, third finger, and radial half of the hand's fourth finger. In the US, CTS has a prevalence of 50 per 1,000, which is similar to the prevalence in other developed countries.1 Overall, the prevalence of CTS in the general population in developed countries ranges from 3% to 6%, whereas the prevalence of CTS in developing countries like Pakistan has been reported to be from 10% to 15%.2 The management of mild to moderate CTS ranges from conservative management, including ultrasound therapy using the pulsed mode, wrist splinting, and tendon gliding exercises, to Neuro-mobilization.3 On the other hand, the management of moderate to severe CTS, which is unresponsive to the above-mentioned therapies comprises therapeutic steroid injections and surgical decompression of the median nerve. In many cases, surgical decompression is used as a last resort after the failure of therapeutic steroid injections. However, studies have shown that surgical decompression in these cases is associated with poor postoperative outcomes, including increased risk of pain and paresthesia.4 Furthermore, such cases are also associated with an increased risk of surgical site infections, non-infectious wound complications, and 1 year-reoperation. The risk of these complications is maximum when surgery is performed within 30 days of the last therapeutic steroid injection along with a high number of therapeutic steroid injections (infections 1.77%, non-infectious complications 1.12%, 1-year re-operation 2.09%), and is minimal when performed from 90 to 180 days of the last therapeutic steroid injection with a low number of therapeutic steroid injections (infections 1.19%, non-infectious complications 0.44%, 1-year re-operation 1.58%). Therefore, surgical decompression of the median nerve should be delayed for 90 to 180 days after the last therapeutic steroid injection, depending on the severity.5 There is a high prevalence of CTS in developing countries like Pakistan and therapeutic steroid injections are frequently prescribed as first-line treatment for moderate to severe CTS. ---Continue

Medicaid Insurance is Associated with Treatment Disparities for Proximal Humerus Fractures in a National Database Analysis.

Proximal humerus fractures (PHFs) are the third most common type of fragility fracture in the elderly and are increasing in incidence. Disparities in treatment type, time to surgery (TTS), and complications based upon insurance type have been identified for other orthopedic conditions. Given the incidence and burden of PHFs, we sought to evaluate if insurance type was associated with treatment received, TTS, and complications in the treatment of PHFs. We used PearlDiver, a national administrative claims database that consists of 122 million patient records. Patients diagnosed with an isolated PHF between 2010-2019 were identified by ICD-9/10 diagnostic codes and stratified by insurance type (Medicaid, private, or Medicare). Outcomes evaluated were rate of surgery within 3 months of diagnosis with open reduction and internal fixation, hemiarthroplasty, or reverse shoulder arthroplasty; average TTS; 90-day readmissions and medical postoperative complications (deep vein thrombosis, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, sepsis, acute respiratory failure, cerebrovascular event, and acute renal failure); and 1-year surgical postoperative complications (stiffness, non-infectious wound complications, dislocation, and infection). Multivariable logistic regressions adjusting for age, sex, and Elixhauser comorbidity index were utilized to determine the association between insurance type and surgery rate/complications. We included 245,396 patients for analysis. 14% of Medicaid patients (1,789/12,498) underwent surgery compared to 17% (25,347/149,830) of privately-insured patients and 16% (13,305/83,068) of Medicare patients (pairwise p < 0.001). TTS (Medicaid: 11.7 days, private: 10.6 days (p < 0.001), Medicare: 10.7 days (p = 0.003)) varied by insurance type. Private or Medicare-insured patients were less likely to be readmitted (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.63 - 0.93] for private vs Medicaid, and 0.71 [95% CI: 0.59 - 0.88] for Medicare vs Medicaid) and experienced fewer 90-day postoperative complications (adjusted ORs: 0.73 [95% CI: 0.62 - 0.85] for private vs Medicaid, 0.65 [95% CI: 0.55 - 0.77] for Medicare vs Medicaid), such as acute renal failure. TTS was also associated with differing rates of readmissions and complications. There are differences in rates of surgery, TTS, and complications after PHFs based on insurance type, representing opportunities for quality-improvement initiatives. Potential methods to address these disparities include implementing standardized PHF protocols and/or reimbursement models and quality metrics that reward equitable treatment. Further research and policy adaptations should be incorporated to decrease barriers patients face and minimize healthcare inequities seen in the treatment of PHFs based on insurance type.

Diabetes increases risk for readmission and infection after shoulder arthroplasty: A national readmissions study of 113,713 patients

BackgroundThe recent increasing popularity of shoulder arthroplasty has been paralleled by a rise in prevalence of diabetes in the United States. We aimed to evaluate the impact of diabetes status on readmission and short-term complications among patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty. MethodsWe analyzed the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Readmissions Database (NRD) between the years 2016–2018. Patients were included in the study if they underwent anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA) or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) according to ICD-10 procedure codes. Postoperative complications including surgical site/joint infection, dislocation, prosthetic complications, hardware-related complications, non-infectious wound complications, 30-day, and 90-day readmission were collected. ResultsA total of 113,713 shoulder arthroplasty patients were included. 23,749 (20.9%) had a diagnosis of diabetes and 89,964 (79.1%) did not. On multivariate analysis, a diagnosis of diabetes led to an increased risk of 30-day (OR: 1.24; 95% CI: [1.14, 1.34]; p < 0.001) and 90-day (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: [1.12, 1.25]; p < 0.001) readmission, surgical site/joint infection (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: [1.06, 1.38]; p = 0.005), respiratory complication (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: [1.09, 1.64]; p = 0.005), postoperative infection (OR: 1.22; 95% CI [1.07, 1.39]; p = 0.003), and deep vein thrombosis (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: [1.09, 1.74]; p = 0.007). ConclusionsOur findings suggest that patients with diabetes may be at an increased risk of readmission, infection, respiratory complication, and deep vein thrombosis following shoulder arthroplasty. Shoulder surgeons should consider these potential adverse events when planning postoperative care for patients with diabetes.

Factors Influencing Hospital Readmission after Lower Extremity Bypass for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.

Objectives: Unplanned hospital readmission is a leading source of hospital resource expenditure, and preventing readmission may improve both patient quality of life and healthcare costs. The factors influencing hospital readmission after lower extremity bypass (LEB) for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) remain incompletely investigated. Methods: A regional, multi-institutional database was retrospectively reviewed for all patients who underwent LEB for CLTI between 1995 to 2020. The primary outcome was unplanned hospital readmission up to 30 days following bypass. Results: A total of 1315 patients underwent LEB across all institutions, of whom 843 (64.1%) underwent bypass for CLTI. The 30-day hospital readmission rate was 25.3%, and the leading causes of readmission were wound-related complications (51.6%). There was no difference in age, sex, or race between readmitted and non-readmitted patients. Conduit type and bypass target were also similar between groups. Readmitted patients more frequently underwent LEB for tissue loss (58.2% vs 50.2%, P = 0.042). On multivariable analysis, wound infection (odds ratio [OR] 9.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.2-13.2, P < 0.001) and non-infectious wound complications (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-3.9, P = 0.041) were independently associated with hospital readmission. Factors not associated with hospital readmission included patient age, conduit type, distal bypass target, and other medical comorbidities. Conclusions: One quarter of patients are readmitted within 30days following lower extremity bypass for chronic limb-threatening ischemia. Efforts to mitigate wound infection and non-infectious wound complications may decrease rates of unplanned hospital readmission.

Individualized Risk Prediction Tool for Serious Wound Complications After Mastectomy With and Without Immediate Reconstruction.

A greater proportion of patients with surgical risk factors are undergoing immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy, resulting in the need for better risk prediction to inform decisions about the procedure. The objective of this study was to leverage clinical data to restructure a previously developed risk model to predict serious infectious and noninfectious wound complications after mastectomy alone and mastectomy plus immediate reconstruction for use during a surgical consultation. The study established a cohort of women age 21 years or older treated with mastectomy from 1 July 2010 to 31 December 2015 using electronic health records from two hospitals. Serious infectious and non-infectious wound complications, defined as surgical-site infection, dehiscence, tissue necrosis, fat necrosis requiring hospitalization, or surgical treatment, were identified within 180 days after surgery. Risk factors for serious wound complications were determined using modified Poisson regression, with discrimination and calibration measures. Bootstrap validation was performed to correct for overfitting. Among 2159 mastectomy procedures, 1410 (65.3%) included immediate implant or flap reconstruction. Serious wound complications were identified after 237 (16.8%) mastectomy-plus-reconstruction and 30 (4.0%) mastectomy-only procedures. Independent risk factors for serious wound complications included immediate reconstruction, bilateral mastectomy, higher body mass index, depression, and smoking. The optimism-corrected C statistic of the risk prediction model was 0.735. Immediate reconstruction, bilateral mastectomy, obesity, depression, and smoking were significant risk factors for serious wound complications in this population of women undergoing mastectomy. Our risk prediction model can be used to counsel women before surgery concerning their individual risk of serious wound complications after mastectomy.

Individualized perioperative management in transoral spine surgery: a single-center cohort study evaluating surgical wound complications and wound infections

BackgroundTransoral spine surgery is specific due to both its surgical approach and the spectrum of diseases it targets. Patients with high age and elevated clinical frailty scores are often involved, and there are reports of increased risks of surgical site infection (SSI) due to extended exposures requiring maxilotomy or mandibulotomy. Our case series describes surgical wound complications under the meticulous application of individualized perioperative multimodal management.MethodsOur primary outcome was the occurrence of SSI and the secondary outcome was the occurrence of other noninfectious wound complications evaluated in 22 adult patients who consecutively underwent the transoral spine surgery from 2001 to 2018 (trauma – C2, cervical nonunion: 6 patients, 27%; tumor: 4 patients, 18%; osteomyelitis: 6 patients, 27%; other non-traumatic cases: 6 patients, 27%). Structuralized data comprising parameters related to nosocomial infections after spine surgery were continuously processed and put into specialized database of preventive multimodal nosocomial infection control protocol that was used as a main source of analyzed parameters. The mean age of studied cohort was 54.9 pm 15.5 years, with 68% males, mean body mass index (BMI) 24.9 pm 5.22, and the mean clinical frailty score was 2.59 pm 1.07. There were 7 patients (32%) who only had the transoral approach and 15 patients (68%) having this approach followed by additional posterior approach. We observed SSI from all wound complications for up to one year after surgery.ResultsThere were 4 (18%) superficial wound complications from transoral approach, but none of them were infected. We had 2 patients (13%) with deep wound infections after subsequent posterior approach, but only one (4.5%) was classified as SSI.ConclusionsWe describe the wound complications and the incidence of SSI in a series of 22 patients after the transoral surgery. Considering the average values of the clinical frailty score reaching 2.59, American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 2.73, and the BMI of 26.87, the transoral spine surgery did not seem to be a considerable risk for SSI in the analyzed cohort, provided preventive perioperative multimodal management is properly individualized and followed.

Comparison of Cesarean Surgical Site Infection in Patients Treated with Cefazolin and Cefazolin-Azithromycin Regimes: A Quasi-experimental Study in a Developing Country

Background: Prophylactic antibiotics effectively reduce the incidence of infection associated with cesarean section after labor. The use of a first-generation cephalosporin for antibiotic prophylaxis has been suggested in these patients, but in some studies, increasing the spectrum of antibiotic prophylaxis by adding another antibiotic to standard cephalosporin may provide greater protection against post-cesarean wound infections. Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the effects of conventional prophylaxis with cefazolin with a combination of cefazolin and azithromycin in reducing wound infection. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 200 cesarean section candidates admitted to Ali Ibn Abi Taleb Hospital in Zahedan, Iran, in 2019 - 2020 were divided into two groups of 100 patients. The control group received cefazolin alone, and the intervention group received cefazolin and azithromycin. Finally, in addition to demographic factors, various underlying diseases, causes of cesarean section, non-infectious wound complications, and post-surgery wound infection were investigated. Results: The two groups were homogenized in terms of age and BMI of patients. Surgical wound infection occurred after cesarean section in 3% of patients in the control group. Only 1% of infections were observed in patients in the intervention group, and the two groups had a statistically significant difference (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Compared with cefazolin alone, the combination of cefazolin and azithromycin was more effective in preventing cesarean section wound infection. Therefore, the combined use of these two antibiotics instead of cefazolin alone is recommended for this desirable clinical outcome.

Radiation Therapy in Primary Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Superficial Trunk.

Despite anatomical differences, truncal soft tissue sarcomas (STS) often are grouped with extremity sarcomas. We evaluated the clinical outcome of patients with truncal STS who underwent gross total resection (GTR) and radiation therapy (RT), with special emphasis on those treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). From January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2018, 64 patients received GTR and RT, where 48 patients were male, 35 patients were aged ≤ 60 years, and 48 patients had tumors ≤ 10 cm. Sixty-two tumors were high grade, 36 were in the chest wall, 7 in the abdominal wall, and 21 were paraspinal. During surgery, 7 received mesh reconstruction, and 6 received flap closure. R0 resection was achieved in 53 patients. Thirteen patients received chemotherapy. With a median follow-up of 57 months, the 5-year actuarial local control (LC) was 71%. In the IMRT subset (50/64, 78%), the 5-year LC for the chest/abdominal wall was 84%, and 69% for the paraspinal subsite. Grade 2+ radiation dermatitis was seen in 21 of 64 (33%) patients, 5 of 64 (8%) developed noninfectious wound complications, 5 of 64 (8%) developed infectious wound complications, and 1 of 64 (2%) developed grade 2 chest wall pain. No additional grade 2+ late toxicity was observed. Based on this study, achieving LC in truncal STS treated with GTR and RT remains challenging even with IMRT (5-year LC: 78%). While the use of IMRT was more promising for tumors of the chest/abdominal wall with 5-year LC of 84%, it was 69% for those located in the paraspinal subsite, indicating a need for further improvement.

When Is It Safe to Operate After Therapeutic Carpal Tunnel Injections?

Recent studies suggest increased complications when surgery closely follows corticosteroid injection. The purpose of this study was to understand the occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI), wound complications, and reoperation rates after carpal tunnel release (CTR) when corticosteroid injections were given within 180 days preoperatively. Data were collected from the Truven MarketScan database from 2009 to 2018. Cohorts were created based on preoperative timing of injection (<30, 30-60, 61-90, 91-180 days) and number of injections (0, 1, 2, 3+). Logistic regression was performed to assess the contribution of preoperative injections on 90-day surgical site complications and 1-year reoperation while controlling for demographics and comorbidities. Overall, 223 899 patients underwent CTR. Of these, 17 391 (7.76%) had a preoperative injection in the 180 days preceding surgery. Univariate analysis demonstrated a relationship between timing of injections and noninfectious wound complications (P = .006) and rate of 1-year reoperation (P = .045). Univariate analysis demonstrated a relationship between number of injections and 1-year reoperation (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, those receiving injections within 30 days preoperatively had increased rates of SSI (P = .034) and noninfectious wound complications (P = .006) compared with those with no injection or at other time points. Patients with 2 (P = .002) or 3 or more injections (P < .001) in the 180-day preoperative period had increased odds of 1-year reoperation. Our study suggests increased risk of SSI, wound complications, and 1-year reoperation when corticosteroid injections are administered in the 30-day preoperative period. In addition, multiple steroid injections may increase the risk of 1-year reoperation.

Risk factors associated with surgical site infections after thoracic or lumbar surgery: a 6-year single centre prospective cohort study

BackgroundSurgical site infection (SSI) is a risk in every operation. Infections negatively impact patient morbidity and mortality and increase financial demands. The aim of this study was to analyse SSI and its risk factors in patients after thoracic or lumbar spine surgery.MethodsA six-year single-centre prospective observational cohort study monitored the incidence of SSI in 274 patients who received planned thoracic or lumbar spinal surgery for degenerative disease, trauma, or tumour. They were monitored for up to 30 days postoperatively and again after 1 year. All patients received short antibiotic prophylaxis and stayed in the eight-bed neurointensive care unit (NICU) during the immediate postoperative period. Risk factors for SSI were sought using multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsWe recorded 22 incidences of SSI (8.03%; superficial 5.84%, deep 1.82%, and organ 0.36%). Comparing patients with and without SSI, there were no differences in age (p=0.374), gender (p=0.545), body mass index (p=0.878), spine diagnosis (p=0.745), number of vertebrae (p=0.786), spine localization (p=0.808), implant use (p=0.428), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Score (p=0.752), urine catheterization (p=0.423), drainage (p=0.498), corticosteroid use (p=0.409), transfusion (p=0.262), ulcer prophylaxis (p=0.409) and diabetes mellitus (p=0.811). The SSI group had longer NICU stays (p=0.043) and more non-infectious hospital wound complications (p<0.001). SSI risk factors according to our multivariate logistic regression analysis were hospital wound complications (OR 20.40, 95% CI 7.32–56.85, p<0.001) and warm season (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.03–8.27, p=0.044).ConclusionsContrary to the prevailing literature, our study did not identify corticosteroids, diabetes mellitus, or transfusions as risk factors for the development of SSI. Only wound complications and warm seasons were significantly associated with SSI development according to our multivariate regression analysis.

A multicenter, prospective randomized trial of negative pressure wound therapy for infrainguinal revascularization with a groin incision

BackgroundWound complications after open infrainguinal revascularization are a frequent cause of patient morbidity, resulting in increased healthcare costs. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of closed incision negative pressure therapy (ciNPT) on groin wound complications after infrainguinal bypass and femoral endarterectomy. MethodsA total of 242 patients who had undergone infrainguinal bypass (n = 124) or femoral endarterectomy (n = 118) at five academic medical centers in New England from April 2015 to August 2019 were randomized to ciNPT (PREVENA; 3M KCI, St Paul, Minn; n = 118) or standard gauze (n = 124). The primary outcome measure was a composite endpoint of groin wound complications, including surgical site infections (SSIs), major noninfectious wound complications, or graft infections within 30 days after surgery. The secondary outcome measures included 30-day SSIs, 30-day noninfectious wound complications, readmission for wound complications, significant adverse events, and health-related quality of life using the EuroQoL 5D-3L survey. ResultsThe ciNPT and control groups had similar demographics (age, 67 vs 67 years, P = .98; male gender, 71% vs 70%, P = .86; white race, 93% vs 93%, P = .97), comorbidities (previous or current smoking, 93% vs 94%, P = .46; diabetes, 41% vs 48%, P = .20; renal insufficiency, 4% vs 7%, P = .31), and operative characteristics, including procedure type, autogenous conduit, and operative time. No differences were found in the primary composite outcome at 30 days between the two groups (ciNPT vs control: 31% vs 28%; P = .55). The incidence of SSI at 30 days was similar between the two groups (ciNPT vs control: 11% vs 12%; P = .58). Infectious (13.9% vs 12.6%; P = .77) and noninfectious (20.9% vs 17.6%; P = .53) wound complications at 30 days were also similar for the ciNPT and control groups. Wound complications requiring readmission also similar between the two groups (ciNPT vs control: 9% vs 7%; P = .54). The significant adverse event rates were not different between the two groups (ciNPT vs control: 13% vs 16%; P = .53). The mean length of the initial hospitalization was the same for the ciNPT and control groups (5.2 vs 5.7 days; P = .63). The overall health-related quality of life was similar at baseline and at 14 and 30 days postoperatively for the two groups. Although not powered for stratification, we found no differences among the subgroups in gender, obesity, diabetes, smoking, claudication, chronic limb threatening ischemia, bypass, or endarterectomy. On multivariable analysis, no differences were found in wound complications at 30 days for the ciNPT vs gauze groups (odds ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.8-2.6; P = .234). ConclusionsIn contrast to other randomized studies, our multicenter trial of infrainguinal revascularization found no differences in the 30-day groin wound complications for patients treated with ciNPT vs standard gauze dressings. However, the SSI rate was lower in the control group than reported in other studies, suggesting other practice patterns and processes of care might have reduced the rate of groin infections. Further study might identify the subsets of high-risk patients that could benefit from ciNPT.

Closed Incision Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Elective Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BackgroundPersistent wound drainage after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) increases the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs). Closed incision negative pressure wound therapy (ciNPWT) decreases infections in traumatic wounds, but evidence for its use after elective TJA is limited. The purpose of this meta-analysis of level I studies is to determine the effect of ciNPWT on risk of SSI and wound complications following TJA. MethodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing ciNPWT vs standard dressings after total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Studies exclusively involving THA for femoral neck fractures were excluded. Risk of SSI and noninfectious wound complications (blisters, seroma, hematoma, persistent drainage, dehiscence, and wound edge necrosis) following TJA were analyzed. ResultsSSI risk was lower with ciNPWT compared to standard dressings (3.4% vs 7%; relative risk [RR] 0.48, P = .007), specifically in revision THA and TKA (4.1% vs 10.5%; RR 0.41, P = .03). ciNPWT increased the noninfectious complication risk after primary TKA (RR 4.71, P < .0001), especially causing wound blistering (RR 12.66, P < .0001). ciNPWT decreased hospital length of stay by 0.73 days (P = .04) and reoperation rate (RR 0.28, P = .01). ConclusionciNPWT decreases SSI risk compared to standard dressings after revision TJA, but not primary TJA. ciNPWT is associated with >12-fold increased risk of wound blistering after primary TKA. ciNPWT plays a role in revision TJA management, but additional randomized controlled trials with uniform wound assessment methods must be performed to sufficiently power findings and draw conclusions on the use of ciNPWT after primary TJA.

Do Indomethacin or Radiation for Heterotopic Ossification Prophylaxis Increase the Rates of Infection or Wound Complications After Acetabular Fracture Surgery?

To compare the rates of infection and wound complications in patients undergoing operative fixation (ORIF) of acetabular fractures receiving heterotopic ossification (HO) prophylaxis using indomethacin or external beam radiation therapy (XRT) versus no prophylaxis. Retrospective cohort. Level I trauma center. We reviewed 473 patients undergoing ORIF of acetabular fractures through posterior, combined, or extensile surgical approaches from 2012 to 2017, with a median follow-up of 13 months (0.5-77 months). Rates of infection and wound complications were stratified according to their HO prophylaxis method into three groups as indomethacin, XRT, and no prophylaxis. Overall, 167 patients (35.3%) received indomethacin, 104 patients (22.0%) received postoperative XRT, and 202 patients (42.7%) received no prophylactic treatment. There was no difference between the 3 groups for the risk of surgical site infection (P = 0.280). The XRT group had a significantly increased risk of noninfectious wound complications (20.2%) compared with the indomethacin group (6.6%, P = 0.002) and the no prophylaxis group (5.0%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed XRT remained a significant risk factor for noninfectious wound complications compared with no prophylaxis (odds ratio 5.39; 95% confidence interval 2.37-12.22; P < 0.0001). Although there is no difference between XRT, indomethacin, and no HO prophylaxis for the risk of surgical site infection, the use of XRT results in more than 5 times increased risk of noninfectious wound complications compared with no prophylaxis. This increased risk should be considered when contemplating XRT for HO prophylaxis in acetabular fracture patients. Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Chronic postoperative complications and donor site morbidity after sural nerve autograft harvest or biopsy.

BackgroundThe sural nerve is the most frequently harvested nerve autograft and is most often biopsied in the workup of peripheral neuropathy. While the complication types associated with these two procedures are well known, their clinical significance is poorly understood and there is a paucity of data regarding the complication rates.MethodsPubmed search identified studies regarding complications after sural nerve harvest and biopsy. The data was grouped into sensory deficits, chronic pain, sensory symptoms, wound infections, wound complications, other postoperative complications, and complications impacting daily life. The incidence of each complication was calculated, and a chi‐square analysis was performed to determine if there were any differences between nerve biopsies and graft harvest with respect to each complication.ResultsTwelve studies yielded 478 sural nerve procedures. Sensory deficits occurred at a rate of 92.9%, chronic pain at 19.7%, sensory symptoms at 41.1%, wound infections at 5.7%, noninfectious wound complications at 7.8%, and impact on daily life at 5.0%. The differences in wound infections, sensory symptoms, and impact on daily life between biopsies versus graft excisions were found to reach statistical significance (p < .05).ConclusionsSural nerve excisions can cause chronic postoperative donor‐site complications. Given these complications, alternative available mediums for nerve reconstruction should be explored and utilized wherever appropriate. If an alternative medium is unavailable and nerve autograft must be harvested for nerve reconstruction, then patients should be counseled about risks for developing donor site complications that may negatively affect quality of life.

Impact of Azithromycin-Based Extended-Spectrum Antibiotic Prophylaxis on Noninfectious Cesarean Wound Complications.

Adding azithromycin to standard antibiotic prophylaxis for unscheduled cesarean delivery has been shown to reduce postcesarean infections. Because wound infection with ureaplasmas may not be overtly purulent, we assessed the hypothesis that azithromycin-based extended-spectrum antibiotic prophylaxis also reduces wound complications that are identified as noninfectious. This is a secondary analysis of the C/SOAP (Cesarean Section Optimal Antibiotic Prophylaxis) randomized controlled trial, which enrolled women with singleton pregnancies ≥24 weeks who were undergoing nonelective cesarean. Women were randomized to adjunctive azithromycin or identical placebo up to 1 hour preincision. All wound complications occurring within 6 weeks were adjudicated into infection and noninfectious wound complications (seroma, hematoma, local cellulitis, and other noninfectious wound breakdown). The primary outcome for this analysis is the composite of noninfectious wound complications. At a total of 14 sites, 2,013 women were randomized to adjunctive azithromycin (n = 1,019) or placebo (n = 994). Groups were similar at baseline. Although there was a lower rate of noninfectious wound complications in the azithromycin group compared with placebo (2.9 vs. 3.8%), this was not statistically significant (p = 0.22). While adding azithromycin to usual antibiotic prophylaxis for nonelective cesarean delivery does reduce the risk of postcesarean infections, it did not significantly reduce the risk of postcesarean noninfectious wound complications.

Comparison of Wound Complications After Immediate, Delayed, and Secondary Breast Reconstruction Procedures

Few data are available concerning surgical site infection (SSI) and noninfectious wound complications (NIWCs) after delayed (DR) and secondary reconstruction (SR) compared with immediate reconstruction (IR) procedures in the breast. To compare the incidence of SSI and NIWCs after implant and autologous IR, DR, and SR breast procedures after mastectomy. This retrospective cohort study included women aged 18 to 64 years undergoing mastectomy from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2011. Data were abstracted from a commercial insurer claims database in 12 states and analyzed from January 1, 2015, through February 7, 2017. Reconstruction within 7 days of mastectomy was considered immediate. Reconstruction more than 7 days after mastectomy was considered delayed if the mastectomy did not include IR or secondary if the mastectomy included IR. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes for SSI and NIWCs. Mastectomy was performed in 17 293 women (mean [SD] age, 50.4 [8.5] years); 61.4% of women had IR or DR. Among patients undergoing implant reconstruction, the incidence of SSI was 8.9% (685 of 7655 women) for IR, 5.7% (21 of 369) for DR, and 3.2% (167 of 5150) for SR. Similar results were found for NIWCs. In contrast, the incidence of SSI was similar after autologous IR (9.8% [177 of 1799]), DR (13.9% [19 of 137]), and SR (11.6% [11 of 95]) procedures. Compared with women without an SSI after implant IR, women with an SSI after implant IR were significantly more likely to have another SSI (47 of 412 [11.4%] vs 131 of 4791 [2.7%]) and an NIWC (24 of 412 [5.8%] vs 120 of 4791 [2.5%]) after SR. The incidence of SSI (24 of 379 [6.3%] vs 152 of 5286 [2.9%]) and NIWC (22 of 379 [5.8%] vs 129 of 5286 [2.4%]) after implant SR was higher in women who had received adjuvant radiotherapy. Wound complications after IR were associated with significantly more breast surgical procedures (mean of 1.92 procedures [range, 0-9] after implant IR and 1.11 [range, 0-6] after autologous IR) compared with women who did not have a complication (mean of 1.37 procedures [range, 0-8] after implant IR and 0.87 [range, 0-6] after autologous IR). The incidence of SSI and NIWCs was slightly higher for implant IR compared with delayed or secondary implant reconstruction. Women who had an SSI or NIWC after implant IR had a higher risk for subsequent complications after SR and more breast operations. The risk for complications should be carefully balanced with the psychosocial and technical benefits of IR. Select high-risk patients may benefit from consideration of delayed rather than immediate implant reconstruction to decrease breast complications after mastectomy.

Validation of ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Codes for Surgical Site Infection and Noninfectious Wound Complications After Mastectomy.

BACKGROUND Few studies have validated ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes for surgical site infection (SSI), and none have validated coding for noninfectious wound complications after mastectomy. OBJECTIVES To determine the accuracy of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes in health insurer claims data to identify SSI and noninfectious wound complications, including hematoma, seroma, fat and tissue necrosis, and dehiscence, after mastectomy. METHODS We reviewed medical records for 275 randomly selected women who were coded in the claims data for mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction and had an ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for a wound complication within 180 days after surgery. We calculated the positive predictive value (PPV) to evaluate the accuracy of diagnosis codes in identifying specific wound complications and the PPV to determine the accuracy of coding for the breast surgical procedure. RESULTS The PPV for SSI was 57.5%, or 68.9% if cellulitis-alone was considered an SSI, while the PPV for cellulitis was 82.2%. The PPVs of individual noninfectious wound complications ranged from 47.8% for fat necrosis to 94.9% for seroma and 96.6% for hematoma. The PPVs for mastectomy, implant, and autologous flap reconstruction were uniformly high (97.5%-99.2%). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that claims data can be used to compare rates of infectious and noninfectious wound complications after mastectomy across facilities, even though PPVs vary by specific type of postoperative complication. The accuracy of coding was highest for cellulitis, hematoma, and seroma, and a composite group of noninfectious complications (fat necrosis, tissue necrosis, or dehiscence). Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:334-339.

The Effect on Surgical Complications of Bevacizumab Added to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: NRG Oncology/NSABP Protocol B-40.

NRG Oncology/NSABP trial B-40 tested the impact of adding bevacizumab (bev) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for operable breast cancer. Secondary endpoints included rates of surgical complications after surgery in patients who did or did not receive bev. A total of 1206 women with HER2-negative operable breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive one of three different docetaxel-plus-anthracycline-based regimens, without or with bev (15mg/kg every 3weeks) for the first 6 of 8 cycles and for 10 doses postoperatively. Surgical complications were assessed from date of surgery through 24months following study entry. Early surgical complications were significantly more frequent in the bev group (25.4 vs. 18.9%; trend test p = 0.008), but most were grade 1-2. Early noninfectious wound dehiscences were infrequent and not significantly different (5.4 vs. 3.1%; trend test p = 0.15). Long-term noninfectious wound complications were significantly higher for patients receiving bev (11.8 vs. 5.1%; trend test p = 0.0007), but the incidence of grade ≥3 wound dehiscence was low in both groups (<1%). Among 193 patients undergoing expander or implant reconstructions, 19 (19.6%) of 97 in the bev-receiving group versus 10 (10.4%) of 96 in the non-bev group had grade ≥3 complications (Pearson, p = 0.11). Overall, adding bev increased surgical complications, but most serious complications were not significantly increased. In particular, the need for surgical intervention in patients undergoing breast reconstruction with prosthetic implants was higher with bev but was not statistically significantly different. With precautions, bev can be used safely perioperatively in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer.

Development of a Single Model to Predict Surgical Site Infection and Non-Infectious Wound Complications After Mastectomy with Immediate Reconstruction

Development of a Single Model to Predict Surgical Site Infection and Non-Infectious Wound Complications After Mastectomy with Immediate Reconstruction

Timing of and Reasons for Unplanned 30-Day Readmission After Hysterectomy for Benign Disease.

To characterize timing and reasons associated with unplanned 30-day readmissions after hysterectomy for benign indications. We performed a retrospective analysis of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database files from 2012 to 2013. We identified patterns of 30-day readmission after benign hysterectomy for all surgical approaches (abdominal, laparoscopic, vaginal). Readmission timing was determined from discharge date and readmission diagnoses were tabulated. Statistical analyses included χ tests and multivariable logistic regression. The 30-day readmission rate was 2.8% (1,118/40,580 hysterectomies). Readmissions complicated 3.7% (361/9,869) of abdominal, 2.6% (576/22,266) of laparoscopic, and 2.1% (181/8,445) of vaginal hysterectomies. Readmissions were more likely when hysterectomy was performed abdominally (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-1.76) but not laparoscopically (adjusted OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9-1.4) compared with a vaginal approach. Eighty-two percent of readmissions occurred within 15 days of discharge. The shortest median time to readmission was associated with pain (3 days), and the longest was associated with noninfectious wound complications (10 days). Surgical site infection was the most common diagnosis (abdominal 36.6%, laparoscopic 28.3%, vaginal 32.6%). Surgical site infections, surgical injuries, and wound complications combined accounted for 51.5% of abdominal, 51.9% of laparoscopic, and 50.8% of vaginal hysterectomy readmissions. Medical complications such as cardiovascular events and venous thromboembolism were responsible for 5.8% of abdominal, 6.9% of laparoscopic, and 8.8% of vaginal hysterectomy readmissions. Surgical injuries were responsible for more readmissions after laparoscopic (unadjusted OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.48-3.65) and vaginal hysterectomies (unadjusted OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.29-3.97) than abdominal cases. Readmissions after hysterectomy tend to occur shortly after discharge. Most readmissions are related to surgical issues, most commonly surgical site infection. Medical complications, including venous thromboembolism, account for less than 10% of readmissions. Readmission reduction efforts should focus on early postdischarge follow-up, preventing infectious complications, and determining preventability of surgical-related reasons for readmission.