Thickness of subcutaneous fat as a strong risk factor for wound infections in elective colorectal surgery: impact of prediction using preoperative CT.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In this study, we have attempted to identify and assess factors that would be most predictive of postoperative incisional surgical site infection (SSI) in colorectal surgery, including representative markers for nutrition or obesity.

METHODS

152 patients who underwent elective colorectal resection were identified for inclusion in this study. The outcome of interest was incisional SSI. Variables thought to be predictive of incisional SSI, including body mass index (BMI) and the thickness of subcutaneous fat (TSF), were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis. TSF was evaluated preoperatively using computed tomography (CT).

RESULTS

The study's overall incidence of incisional SSI following a colorectal operation was 29 (19.1%). TSF was independently associated with incisional SSI. While BMI was significantly associated with incisional SSI on univariate analysis, this variable lost its significance on multivariate analysis that included TSF. Other nutritional markers were not significantly associated with the risk of incisional SSI.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the risk of incisional SSI increases with obesity, and that the most useful predictor of incisional SSI is TSF, as evaluated by preoperative CT. These findings indicate that CT is useful for the evaluation of TSF and the prediction of the risk of incisional SSI.