Intraoperative angiography does not lead to increased rates of surgical site infections

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Infectious Disease

Background:

• Intraoperative angiography (IOA) is crucial for assessing residual aneurysms after clip ligation.
• However, IOA adds procedure time and increases operating room traffic.
• The potential link between IOA and cranial surgical site infection (SSI) requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if intraoperative angiography (IOA) during cranial microsurgery is a risk factor for developing surgical site infections.
• To evaluate the secondary outcome of clip repositioning following IOA.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 676 patients undergoing craniotomy for aneurysm treatment (2005-2012).
• IOA use was at surgeon's discretion.
• Statistical analysis tested the independent association of IOA with SSI occurrence.

Main Results:

• 20 SSIs occurred among 676 treated aneurysms; 1.9% in the IOA group (n=104) vs. 3.1% in the non-IOA group (n=572).
• IOA was not a statistically significant risk factor for SSI (p=0.50).
• No significant increase in infection was linked to other measured variables, and no direct complications from IOA were observed.

Conclusions:

• Intraoperative angiography (IOA) does not elevate the risk of surgical site infections following aneurysm surgery.
• IOA can be safely performed, offering essential intraoperative assessment without exposing patients to increased infection risk.