Surgical associated factors — preoperative radiation/postoperative blood transfusion , combined anterior/posterior approach , surgical invasiveness , or levels of instrumentation were associated with increased SSI .
There is mixed evidence of age , duration of surgery , surgical team , intraoperative blood loss , dural tear , and urinary tract infection/urinary catheter in association with SSI .
Conclusion : SSIs are associated with many risk factors that can be patient or surgically related .
Objective : To perform a review of SSI risk factors and more specifically , categorize them into patient and surgical factors .
Intraoperative and Early Postoperative Complications in Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion: An Analysis of 600 Cases
Study Design . Prospect i ve analysis of 600 extreme lateral interbody fusion ( XLIF ) approach procedures  for intraoperative and perioperative complications . Objective . To delineate and describe complications in a large , prospect i ve series of minimally invasive lateral lumbar fusion procedures ( XLIF ) . Summary of Background Data . While some small series of lateral lumbar fusion have discussed complications , no results from large studies have been reported . Methods . A total of 600 patients were treated with a lateral approach to fusion ( XLIF ) for degenerative spinal conditions . Data were collected prospect ively on all patients and analyzed for demographic , diagnostic , and hospitalization information to identify operative and early postoperative complications . Documented complication types and rates in this large series were compared with smaller prior reports on lateral approach fusions , as well as other minimally invasive ( mini-anterior lumbar interbody fusion and minimally invasive surgical [ MIS ] transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion ) and more traditional fusion approaches ( posterior intertransverse fusion , anterior lumbar interbody fusion , posterior lumbar interbody fusion , transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion ) . Results . Seven hundred forty-one levels were treated , 80.8 % single level , 15.0 % 2 level , 4.0 % 3 level , 0.2 % 4 level ; 59.3 % , including the L4 to L5 levels . A total of 99.2 % included supplemental internal fixation ; 83.2 % included pedicle screw fixation ( predominantly unilateral ) . Hemoglobin change from pre- to postoperation averaged 1.38 . Hospital stay averaged 1.21 days . The overall incidence of perioperative complications ( intraoperation and out to 6 weeks postoperation ) was 6.2 % : 9 ( 1.5 % ) in-hospital surgery-related events , 17 ( 2.8 % ) in-hospital medical events , 6 ( 1.0 % ) out-of-hospital surgery-related events , and 5 ( 0.8 % ) out-of-hospital medical events . There were no wound infections , no vascular injuries , no intraoperative visceral injuries , and 4 ( 0.7 % ) transient postoperative neurologic deficits . Eleven events ( 1.8 % ) result ed in additional procedures /reoperation . Conclusions . Compared with traditional open approaches , the MIS lateral approach to fusion by using the XLIF technique result ed in a lower incidence of infection , visceral and neurologic injury , and transfusion as well as markedly shorter hospitalization . Complications in MIS XLIF compare favorably with those from other MIS fusion procedures ; duration of hospitalization is shorter than with any previously reported technique
Surgical associated factors — preoperative radiation/postoperative blood transfusion , combined anterior/posterior approach , surgical invasiveness , or levels of instrumentation were associated with increased SSI .
There is mixed evidence of age , duration of surgery , surgical team , intraoperative blood loss , dural tear , and urinary tract infection/urinary catheter in association with SSI .
Conclusion : SSIs are associated with many risk factors that can be patient or surgically related .
Objective : To perform a review of SSI risk factors and more specifically , categorize them into patient and surgical factors .