Full-endoscopic debridement and drainage treating spine infection and psoas muscle abscess.

Background: In recent years, full-endoscopic debridement and drainage (FEDD) is gaining popularity treating spondylodiscitis. Comparing to tradition open surgery, FEDD possess many advantages including lower anesthesia risk and minimally invasiveness. In this study, we report our surgical technique of FEDD and preliminary clinical outcome in 34 consecutive patients with minimum 12 months follow-up.

Methods: In our institute, "early intervention and minimally invasive surgery" is our primary strategy to treat spine infection. Surgical approaches of FEDD include transforaminal and interlaminar technique. Selection of surgical approach depends on the location of spine infection. "Trocar-rotating technique" is a novel method to treat psoas muscle abscess. Additional instrumentation is suggested in complicated patients with unstable spinal segment.

Results: Since June 2016 to June 2018, 34 patients including 22 males and 12 females with average aged 62.3 years (21 to 82 years old) sustained spine infection were treated by FEDD. Twenty-eight patients belong to primary spondylodiscitis and 15 patients among them sustained concomitant psoas abscess. Five patients was post-operative infection and one patient was mixed infection including lumbar spondylodiscitis, psoas abscess and multi-level posterior epidural abscess. Positive culture was obtained in 27 patients (27/34=79%) while gram-positive cocci (Staphyloccocci and Streptoccoi) are the most frequent pathogen (67%). Infection was controlled in 28 patients (28/34=82%). Six patients were defined as treatment failure with infection recurrence, they underwent repeat FEDD surgery or open revision surgeries. There was no major intra-operative complications expect two patients sustained transient paresthesia and one instrument broken. Superficial wound infection was encountered in 2 patients and healed after local debridement.

Conclusions: FEDD is a safe and effective procedure. We hope that, FEDD surgery will be the first-line surgery method to treat lumbar spine infection globally in the near future.