Deep surgical site infection following thoracolumbar instrumented spinal surgery. Ten years of experience

To describe the characteristics and evolution of deep surgical site infection following thoracolumbar instrumented spinal surgery (DSITIS) in our centre over a period of ten years.

Descriptive retrospective study. Patient data (epidemiological/health status), surgical data, infection characteristics/presentation, isolated microorganisms, required surgical debridements, implant removal and major complications linked to infection were evaluated.

We included 110 patients (80 females). Median follow-up after infection diagnosis was 3.6years. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, adult deformity and degenerative lumbar stenosis were the most frequent aetiologies. Sixty-two percent of the patients had at least one clinical feature that made them prone to infection. Infection presentation was early (0-3months from first surgery) in 60.4% of the cases, delayed (3-24months) in 11.7%, and late (more than 24months) in 27%. All patients were treated by surgical debridement. Twenty-five percent needed more than one surgical debridement. Implants were removed in 46% of the patients (71% in the first surgical debridement). The most frequent isolated microorganisms were coagulasa-negative Staphylococcus, Propionibacterium acnes and Enterococcus. Major complications appeared in 15% of the patients, and 88% of them required major surgeries.

Late DSITIS is more frequent than previously reported. Skin microorganisms predominate among the DSITIS culprits. DSIITS produce a high rate of major complications that usually require major surgery for treatment.