Wound healing without drains in posterior spinal fusion in idiopathic scoliosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of wound infection and neurological injuries in patients with idiopathic scoliosis who underwent posterior spinal fusion without use of drains.


METHODS
Case series.


METHODS
Department of Orthopaedics, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from February 2007 to June 2010.


METHODS
Patients who underwent similar technique of posterior spinal fusion instrumentation for the correction of scoliosis without use of drain were included. Wound Demographics, wound healing, complications and duration of hospital stay were considered and described as frequency and mean values.


RESULTS
The average age at the time of surgery was 12.80 ± 1.30 years, duration of surgery was 3.80 ± 0.86 hours, hospital stay was 3.84 ± 0.78 days and patients were followed-up over the last 30 months. There was no incidence of any neurological complication and deep infection. However, only 2 (4.16%) cases with superficial skin infection were treated with dressing and antibiotics with full recovery.


CONCLUSIONS
The wound healing is adequate without using drain for patients with idiopathic scoliosis who underwent posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation when good wash, watertight closure technique and appropriate antibiotics coverage is provided.
Department of Orthopaedics, Research Chair of Spinal Deformities, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. alsiddiky@hotmail.com
Abdulmonem
A
Alsiddiky
Kaleem Ahmed
KA
Nisar
Fahad
F
Alhuzaimi
Waleed
W
Albishi
Bader
B
Alnuaim
Mohammed
M
Albarrag
Khalid
K
Bakarman
Sultan Ayoub
SA
Meo
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult