Does a history of wound infection predict postoperative surgical site infection after ventral hernia repair?

• Published in: The American journal of surgery 2012-03, Vol.203 (3), p.370-374
• Main Authors: Blatnik, Jeffrey A., M.D, Krpata, David M., M.D, Novitsky, Yuri W., M.D, Rosen, Michael J., M.D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Abdominal surgery; Age; Anesthesiology; Antibiotics; Biological and medical sciences; Body mass index; Chronic infection; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Defects; Diabetes; Female; General aspects; Hernia; Hernia, Ventral - surgery; Hernias; Herniorrhaphy - instrumentation; Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models; Humans; Infectious diseases; Laparoscopy; Logistic Models; Lung diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Obstructive lung disease; Patients; Postoperative period; Prostheses; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - complications; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Staphylococcus infections; Surgeons; Surgery; Surgical Mesh; Surgical site infection; Surgical site infections; Surgical Wound Infection - epidemiology; Surgical Wound Infection - etiology; Treatment Outcome; Ventral incisional hernia; Wound infection
• ISSN: 0002-9610; 1879-1883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2011.12.001

Abstract Background Stratification of risks of postoperative wound/mesh infection after hernia repair remains a challenge. We aimed to determine the role of a previous wound infection on surgical site infection in patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair. Methods All patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair in a clean setting were evaluated from a prospectively maintained database. The primary end point was the development of a postoperative surgical site infection. Results A total of 146 patients were included in the analysis, and 22 patients had a history of previous wound infection. The rate of surgical site infection did not differ between those with or without a history of wound infection (14% vs 9%; P = .444). Patients with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or smoking were at an increased risk of developing a surgical site infection. Conclusions For patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair, a history of previous wound infection is not predictive of postoperative surgical site infection.