• Yusuf Mehkri, Ramy Sharaf, Abtahi Tishad, Julian Gendreau, Jairo Hernandez, Eric Panther, Ryan Pafford, and Gazanfar Rahmathulla.
• Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
• World Neurosurg. 2023 Mar 1; 171: e147e152e147-e152.

ObjectiveTo investigate the implications of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) versus standard wound dressings on postoperative posterior spinal fusion (PSF) wounds with respect to potential cost savings associated with reduced incidence of surgical site infections.MethodsThis was a retrospective review of trauma patients who underwent open PSF under the care of a single surgeon at a Level I trauma center. Patients were postoperatively monitored for 90 days. Statistical analysis was performed with χ2 testing with the calculation of number needed to treat values.ResultsInclusion criteria were met by 208 patients who underwent open PSF. The χ2 test revealed a significant increase in incidence of surgical site infections (20% vs. 8%; P = 0.021) in the non-VAC group (n = 112) compared with the VAC group (n = 96). Cost-benefit analysis revealed that use of VAC in patients undergoing open PSF could enable a mean cost savings of $163,492 per 100 patients.ConclusionsUse of VAC in patients undergoing open PSF was associated with a 2-fold decrease in incidence of surgical site infections and an infection-related cost savings of $163,492 per 100 patients. Further investigation is needed to ascertain additional benefits of VAC usage in patients undergoing open PSF.Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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