[Management of groin wound infection after arterial surgery using negative-pressure wound therapy].

Introduction: Infection is a serious complication in vascular reconstructive surgery. When the entire graft is infected, its excision and subsequent replacement is the only option of treatment. In case of localised graft infection in the groin, the vascular reconstruction can be saved using negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT).

Methods: Retrospective study design was used to evaluate the efficiency of NPWT in the treatment of infected inguinal wounds following arterial reconstructive surgery. The assessments included demographic patient characteristics, causative agents, type of reconstruction and NPWT outcome. Wound infection was graded based on the Szilagyi classification. Patients were followed-up for 12 months after the therapy. Complete wound healing, retained graft patency, and no clinical signs or laboratory evidence of infection were regarded as successful results of treatment.

Results: Between 2009 and 2012, 20 patients with deep groin infection (Szilagyi II and III) following arterial reconstructive surgery were treated by NPWT. The patient group included 12 men and 8 women; mean age was 68.1 years. Nine patients underwent aorto-femoral arterial reconstructions (with vascular prosthesis in 8 cases), and surgery below the inguinal ligament was done in 11 patients (with vascular prosthesis in 7 cases). Of the 20 patients, early infection within 30 days of surgery was recorded in 17 (85%) patients; Szilagyi grade III groin infection with exposed prosthetic graft was found in 5 (25 %) patients (infection: early, 4; late, 1). The causative agents isolated from the wound included Staphylococcus aureus (n=8), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=5) and Escherichia coli (n=5). Mean NPWT duration was 12.7 days. Wound healing was achieved in 17 patients (success rate, 85 %). Patients with early Szilagyi II infection showed the best outcomes (92.3%).

Conclusion: Localised wound infection in the groin after arterial surgery is a serious complication of arterial reconstruction procedures. In eligible patients, such an infection can be treated conservatively using NPWT. The method is most efficient in the management of early infections. Wounds infected with P. aeruginosa or those with suture line exposure require special treatment. Long-term follow-up is necessary due to the risk of recurrent infection.