Methods to Decrease Postoperative Infections Following Posterior Cervical Spine Surgery

Abstract

In this study, preliminary preparation with alcohol foam and the placement of suprafascial drains for deep wounds resulted in one postoperative deep infection in 323 surgical procedures. The addition of intrawound vancomycin powder in 195 consecutive posterior cervical spine surgical procedures resulted in no infections and no adverse effects. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a technique for significantly decreasing postoperative cervical spine infections.