Reconstruction of the lower back wound with delayed infection after spinal surgery: A case report
DoWon Kim1, SooA Lim1, SuRak Eo1
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, DongGuk University Ilsan Hospital, Goyang 10326, South Korea.
Background:
Orthopedic surgeries after device implantation are susceptible to infections and may require device removal in the worst cases. For this reason, many efforts are being made to control infections after spinal surgery; however, the number of infection cases is increasing owing to the increasing number of elderly citizens.
Case Summary:
A 75-year-old male with a chronic spinal defect due to previous spine surgery underwent reconstruction using a perforator-based island flap. After bursectomy and confirmation that there was no connection with the deep tissue, reconstruction was performed. However, wound disruption occurred with abscess formation on postoperative day 29, which led to an imaging workup revealing delayed deep tissue infection.
Conclusion:
Infection is one of the most common causes of surgical wound dehiscence and is associated with devastating results if not controlled promptly and definitively. Surgeons should always suspect delayed infections when reconstructing chronic soft tissue defects.
