Ultrasound-guided percutaneous micro-drainage tube irrigation combined with high negative pressure tube drainage versus debridement with closed suction irrigation for treating deep surgical site infection after spinal surgery.

It is difficult to avoid deep surgical site infection after spinal surgery. Debridement combined with closed suction irrigation (CSI) and other treatment methods lead to greater trauma and lower satisfaction. We developed a new method for the treatment of SSI, which has the advantages of less invasiveness and lower cost. The cohort of this retrospective study comprised 26 patients with SSI after undergoing spinal surgery in our hospital from August 2017 to March 2022. The patients were divided into CSI and microtube drainage group according to treatment methods. The durations of antibiotic use and hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and functional scores during follow-up were compared between the two groups. The only baseline characteristic that differed between the two groups was sex. Infection was controlled in both groups and there were no recurrences during follow-up. However, the length of hospital stay after the first operation and the total length of stay were significantly greater in the CSI group. Hospitalization costs and antibiotic costs were significantly higher in the CSI group. Additionally, the duration of intravenous antibiotic use was significantly longer in the CSI group. Both the CSI and microtube drainage groups had significantly improved of Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores 6 months postoperatively. However, 3 months postoperatively, SF-36 scores were significantly lower in the CSI group. Compared with debridement followed by CSI, percutaneous micro-drainage tube irrigation combined with high negative pressure tube drainage is a more efficient and economical means of treating SSI after spinal surgery.