Do Surgical Site Infections in Open Aortoiliac Surgery Differ Between Occlusive and Aneurysmal Arterial Disease?

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSI) are frequently seen after aortoiliac vascular surgery (2%-14%). Deep SSIs are associated with graft infection, sepsis, and mortality. This study evaluates the difference in incidence and nature of SSI following open aortoiliac surgery for aneurysmal disease compared to occlusive arterial disease. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including all consecutive patients who underwent open aortoiliac vascular surgery between January 2005 and December 2016 in the Amphia Hospital, Breda, the Netherlands. Patients were grouped by disease type, either aneurysmal or occlusive arterial disease. Data were gathered, including patient characteristics, potential risk factors, and development of SSI. Surgical site infections were defined in accordance with the criteria of the Centers for Disease Control. RESULTS: Between January 2005 and December 2016, a total of 756 patients underwent open aortoiliac surgery of which 517 had aortoiliac aneurysms and 225 had aortoiliac occlusive disease. The group with occlusive disease was younger, predominantly male, and had more smokers. After exclusion of 228 patients undergoing acute surgery, the SSI rate after elective surgery was 6.2%, with 10 of 301 SSIs in the aneurysmal group (3.0%) and 22 of 213 SSIs in the group with occlusive disease (10.3%, P < .001). Also, infection-related readmission and reintervention were higher after occlusive surgery, 6.6% versus 0.9% (P < .001) and 4.2% versus 0.9% (P = .003), respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was found as the most common pathogen, causing 64% of SSI in occlusive disease versus 10% in aneurysmal disease (P = .005). Logistic regression showed occlusive arterial disease and chronic renal disease were associated with SSI. CONCLUSION: Our study presents evidence for a higher rate of SSI in patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease compared to aortoiliac aneurysmal disease, in part due to inherent use of inguinal incision in patients with occlusive disease. All precautions to prevent SSI should be taken in patients undergoing vascular surgery for arterial occlusive disease.

Post-EVAR aneurysm sac shrinkage is prognostically favorable, but does not justify withholding follow-up.

BACKGROUND: One of the main drawbacks of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) compared to open aortic surgery is the possibility of developing endoleaks and secondary aneurysm rupture, requiring frequent imaging follow-up. This study aims to identify prognostic factors that could be incorporated in follow-up protocols, which might lead to better personalized, lower cost and safe EVAR follow-up. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed including all patients who underwent elective EVAR from January 2000 to December 2015. Follow-up data were gathered by reviewing medical files for radiographic imaging. Linear and logistic regressions were used to assess predictive factors for aneurysm shrinkage. RESULTS: In 361 patients, aneurysm sac shrinkage of 10 mm or more was measured in 152 (42.1%) patients. Patients with ≥10-mm aneurysm shrinkage had fewer endoleaks (4.3% vs. 24.6%, P<0.0001) and fewer re-interventions for endoleak (3.0% vs. 10.1%, P=0.007). Aneurysm sac shrinkage was correlated with the absence of endoleak development (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.19-0.66, P=0.001). In patients who had achieved ≥10-mm shrinkage of the aneurysm sac, no further significant growth was seen, compared to 38 (15.3%) patients who did not attain size reduction (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Once patients achieve ≥10-mm aneurysm sac shrinkage, they are less prone to developing subsequent aneurysm growth and have significantly lower risk of requiring surgery for endoleaks. However, a small number of patients remain at risk of requiring endoleak surgery after aneurysm shrinkage. Therefore, we would not recommend ceasing life-long imaging follow-up after significant aneurysm sac shrinkage, though it might be safe to increase the interval of follow-up.

Infection Risk Following Common Femoral Artery Endarterectomy Versus a Hybrid Procedure.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid revascularization combines open lower extremity surgery and endovascular procedures to simultaneously treat atherosclerotic lesions on multiple levels in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD). Hybrid surgery appears to be a safe strategy for multilevel stenosis revascularization, though the risk of surgical site infection (SSI) has not been clearly investigated. This study evaluates the development of SSI following common femoral artery endarterectomy (CFE) and hybrid revascularization procedures. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed including all patients undergoing CFE, as standalone or as part of a hybrid procedure, due to PAD between January 2013 and December 2016. Preoperative, intraoperative, clinical, and follow-up information was gathered prospectively and reviewed retrospectively. The presence of SSI was recorded based on criteria of the Centre for Disease Control. RESULTS: A total of 229 CFEs were performed. One hundred thirty-two as a standalone procedure, 65 combined with iliofemoral angioplasty, and 32 combined with peripheral angioplasty. Nineteen patients (8.3%) developed an SSI, of which 4 were deep infections. Ten infections (7.6%) occurred in the CFE-only group, 5 (7.7%) in the iliofemoral hybrid group, and 4 (12.5%) in the peripheral hybrid group (P = 0.65). Five patients (2.1%) required surgery to control the infection. The mean duration of stay was 5 days for patients without SSI versus 20 days for patients who developed an SSI (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The hybrid procedure combining open femoral endarterectomy with endovascular revascularization is a safe procedure with no significant differences in infection rates between open surgery, central, or peripheral hybrid revascularization.

Peri-Operative Nasal Eradication Therapy Prevents Staphylococcus aureus Surgical Site Infections in Aortoiliac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) cause considerable morbidity and deaths among patients undergoing vascular surgery. Pre-operative screening and subsequent treatment of nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriers with mupirocin and chlorhexidine reduces the risk of SSIs in cardiothoracic and orthopedic surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of this screen-and-treat strategy on the development of SSI in patients undergoing aortoiliac surgery. METHODS: A prospective study was performed that enrolled an intervention cohort comprising all patients undergoing aortoiliac surgery from February 2013 to December 2016. Before surgery, patients were screened for S. aureus nasal carriage and, if positive, were treated with mupirocin nasal ointment and chlorhexidine body washes. The presence of SSI was recorded on the basis of the criteria of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A historic control group was used, consisting of aortoiliac surgery patients in 2010 who tested positive for S. aureus but received no treatment. RESULTS: A total of 374 patients in the study cohort were screened of whom 75 (20.1%) tested positive for S. aureus. Of these patients, 68 were given eradication therapy. In the 2010 cohort, 22 patients (15.7%) were positive. The incidence of S. aureus infection was 0 of 75 in the treatment group versus 3 of 22 (13.6%) in the control group (p = 0.021). Both the 30-day mortality rate (1.3% vs. 13.6%; p = 0.035) and the rate of re-interventions (12.0% vs. 31.8%) were significantly lower in the treated group. CONCLUSION: We conclude that S. aureus nasal screening and eradication with mupirocin and chlorhexidine reduces S. aureus SSI and its complications after aortoiliac surgery.

Surgical Site and Graft Infections in Endovascular and Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) constitute one of many major complications after aortic aneurysm surgery and its details and outcome have not been evaluated extensively. This research evaluates the incidence and outcome of SSI and graft infection in open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed, including all patients who underwent surgery for aortoiliac aneurysmatic disease between January 2000 and December 2016 in the Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands. Surgical site infections were defined in accordance with criteria of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Aortic graft infection was diagnosed by a combination of computed tomography imaging and microbiologic results. RESULTS: Between January 2000 and December 2016, 845 patients (mean age, 72.80 ± 7.15 y, 86.3% male) underwent abdominal aneurysm surgery (477 endovascular, 368 open). The total SSI rate was 3.1% (12 endovascular [2.5%], 14 open [3.8%], p = 0.318) with 0.8% deep SSI (26.9% of SSIs). No difference in SSIs was found between acute and elective surgery (2.9% vs. 3.1%, p = 1.000). Patients with SSI had a longer duration of stay (mean, 27.65 ± 30.74 d vs. 9.79 ± 12.50 d, p < 0.0001) but no difference in 30-day or 1-year mortality. Twenty-four graft infections occurred (4.3% of open vs. 1.7% of endovascular surgery, p = 0.023) of which 20 (83.3%) required surgery. Two-year mortality was higher when graft infections occurred (33.3% vs. 16.3%, p = 0.046). Surgical site infections (odds ratio [OR] 7.10, 95% [CI] 2.10-23.98) and mycotic aneurysms (OR 9.38, 95% CI 1.78-54.19) are independent determinants for graft infections. CONCLUSION: This study shows that SSIs after endovascular aortic surgery are as common as after open aortic surgery. Furthermore, this study supports the concept that aortic graft infection is highly associated with SSIs and mycotic aneurysms. Studies evaluating the prevention or early diagnosis of graft infection after SSIs through intensified imaging follow-up or even long-term antibiotic treatment should be considered.

Pathological fractures in a patient with chronic lymphatic leucaemia without disease progression.

We describe a case of a 59-year-old woman with a medical history of upper leg pain and chronic lymphatic leucaemia (CLL), with known diffuse bone marrow infiltration and without signs of lymphatic or extra-lymphatic disease activity on positron emission tomography CT (PET-CT). She presented with multiple fractures of the pelvis, sacrum and left proximal femur as a result of a low energy fall. During admission, she sustained a non-traumatic fracture of the right proximal femur. Pathological fractures in patients with CLL are usually based on Richter's transformation or multiple myeloma. However, in the current case, a PET-CT and a bone marrow biopsy showed no signs of this. We did see a normoparathyroid hypercalcaemia in our patient, most likely caused by a CLL-based release of local osteoclast stimulating factors. A combination of fludarabine/cyclofosfamide/rituximab was started as treatment in combination with allopurinol and sodium bicarbonate to prevent further osteolysis.