Management of wound sepsis after spinal fusion surgery

In wound sepsis after spinal surgery a first attempt to control infection without removal of the implants is justified, as implant removal after correction of scoliosis and kyphosis and in reduction of slipped vertebrae would often cause instability of the segments operated on. If the first revision is not successful, a second should not be delayed too long. Sometimes partial removal of the implants may be sufficient for infection control, thus maintaining a certain stability. We use local antibiotic treatment with Septopal chains, as suction irrigation sometimes is complicated by secondary bacterial contamination. By applying this treatment rationale we were able to control infection in 50 out of 53 patients with wound infection.