title: Does a history of wound infection predict postoperative surgical site infection after ventral hernia repair?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stratification of risks of postoperative wound/mesh infection after hernia repair remains a challenge. We aimed to determine the role of a previous wound infection on surgical site infection in patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair in a clean setting were evaluated from a prospectively maintained database. The primary end point was the development of a postoperative surgical site infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 146 patients were included in the analysis, and 22 patients had a history of previous wound infection. The rate of surgical site infection did not differ between those with or without a history of wound infection (14% vs 9%; P = .444). Patients with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or smoking were at an increased risk of developing a surgical site infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair, a history of previous wound infection is not predictive of postoperative surgical site infection.
authors.affiliation: Case Comprehensive Hernia Center, Department of Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Blatnik
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Krpata
authors.forename: Yuri W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Novitsky
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rosen
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006555:Hernia, Ventral / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome