Baclofen pump pocket infection: a case report of successful salvage with muscle flap.
Programmable pump for continuous infusion of intrathecal baclofen, an agonist of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, is nowadays being widely used to control spasticity. The most common complications leading to explantation of the pumps are skin breakdown and infection at the pump implantation site which cannot be effectively treated without pump removal. We report a 37-year-old man who developed a baclofen pump pocket infection that did not respond to antibiotic therapy. Because the continuation of intrathecal baclofen administration was critical to the patient, and because the high cost of the pump precluded its prompt replacement, the pump was salvaged using the ipsilateral rectus abdominis muscle that was elevated on its inferior vascular pedicle and wrapped around the pump. Abdominal skin was then approximated, leaving a small portion of exposed muscle overlying the refill site that was covered by a split-thickness skin graft. Continuous intrathecal baclofen administration was never discontinued. Three months later, the pump's refill site could be easily identified manually for pump refill. There were no signs of recurrent infection during the 2-year follow-up period.
Atiyeh
Bishara S
BS
Division Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon. aata@terra.net.lb
Hayek
Shady N
SN
Skaf
Ghassan S
GS
Al Araj
Ali
A
Chamoun
Roukoz B
RB
D000328:Adult; D001418:Baclofen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D009128:Muscle Spasticity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001418:Baclofen