The cost of vacuum-assisted closure therapy in treatment of deep sternal wound infection.
OBJECTIVE
Surgical sites infections are very expensive and the total costs for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery followed by deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) with conventional therapy are estimated to be 2.8 times that for normal, CABG surgery. Promising results have been reported with vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy in patients with DSWI. This study presents the cost of VAC therapy in patients with DSWI after CABG surgery.


METHODS
Thirty-eight CABG patients with DSWI, between 2001 and 2005, were treated with VAC therapy. The cost of surgery, intensive care, ward care, laboratory tests and other costs were analyzed.


RESULTS
No three-month mortality or recurrent infection was observed. The average cost of CABG procedure and treatment of DSWI was 2.5 times higher than the mean cost of CABG alone. No significant correlations were found between the preoperative EuroSCORE and the cost of DSWI therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
VAC therapy for patients who underwent CABG surgery followed by DSWI seems to be cost effective, and has low mortality rate.
Mokhtari
Arash
A
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. arash.mokhtari@med.lu.se
Sjögren
Johan
J
Nilsson
Johan
J
Gustafsson
Ronny
R
Malmsjö
Malin
M
Ingemansson
Richard
R
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D012042:Registries; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents