Back

What can I do to reduce my risk of infection from spine surgery? I had a disc removed years ago and got a terrible staph infection. Now the surgeon is talking about doing a two-part operation to fuse my spine. I'm not sure I want to risk two more surgeries after what I went through.

Breaking any surgery down into two or more operations is called a staged procedure. There are advantages and disadvantages to doing a spinal fusion this way.

The biggest advantage is reducing the length of time you as the patient are under anesthesia. Many studies have shown that the longer you are in the operating room, the greater your risk for infection and other complications.

Many steps are taken before, during, and after surgery to guard against infection. The hospital has an entire department dedicated to infection control. Specific standards and procedures apply to each operating room. Even air flow into the room is monitored.

Hospital protocol also requires that traffic in and out of the operating suite must be limited. Any hardware, implants, or other devices inserted into the patient come under strict guidelines. They must be sterile and unopened until right before they are placed in the body. Preventive antibiotics are also given before the procedure.

It's still true that despite all attempts to prevent infection, some patients may develop such a complication. Postoperative infections are often delayed, sometimes until months later.

In some cases, the patient develops another infection such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection that travels to the site of the implanted hardware. It is difficult, if not impossible, to prevent this type of problem from happening.

« Back