In this study, preliminary preparation with alcohol foam and the placement of suprafascial drains for deep wounds resulted in one postoperative deep infection in 323 surgical procedures. The addition of intrawound vancomycin powder in 195 consecutive posterior cervical spine surgical procedures resulted in no infections and no adverse effects. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a technique for significantly decreasing postoperative cervical spine infections.
Spinal deformity surgery used TLIFs rather than ALIFs resulted in shorter operative time with no difference in complication rates. ALIFs provided more segmental lordosis, whereas TLIFs afforded better correction of scoliotic curves.
The results of this study demonstrate that adjunctive vancomycin powder applied directly to the surgical bed before closure seems effective in preventing deep infections that require operative debridement following posterior spine surgery.
Overall, 34.4% of patients experienced major complications after long revision fusion surgery. Different risk factors were identified for perioperative versus follow-up complications. The occurrence of a follow-up, not but perioperative, major complication seemed to have a negative impact on ultimate clinical outcome.
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