Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cost of infection after knee surgery in dogs with TPLO
By Nicoll, Catherine et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2014·Department of Pathobiology, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Economic impact of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy surgical site infection in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs that underwent a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) surgery developed surgical site infections (SSIs) and faced significantly higher medical costs and more follow-up visits compared to those who did not have infections. On average, dogs with SSIs incurred over $1,500 in additional costs and required multiple extra visits for treatment. The most common bacteria found in these infections was Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. This highlights the importance of infection control during and after surgery to help reduce costs and complications.
People also search for: dog TPLO surgery infection · dog surgery recovery costs · Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the economic impact of surgical site infection after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study STUDY POPULATION: Dogs that had unilateral TPLO and did (n = 32) or did not (controls; 32) develop a surgical site infection. METHODS: Medical and billing records were reviewed to identify postoperative care and costs, which were compared between groups. RESULTS: Age, weight, gender, and initial surgical costs did not differ between groups. Postoperative costs were higher for dogs that developed SSIs ($1559) than for controls ($212, P < .0001), as were number of postoperative recheck visits (P < .0001) and time until final case closure (P = .0002). Dogs with surgical site infection (SSI) returned for a mean (±SD) 4.1 ± 2.9 (range, 1-13) postoperative visits attributable to SSI management: mean outpatient visits 3.0 ± 2.5; mean inpatient stays, 1.2 ± 0.74; and mean hospitalization, 4.3 ± 4.1 days. Postoperative costs attributable to SSI management ranged from $145 to $5022. Implants were removed in 22 (69%) dogs with SSIs. Bacteria were isolated from the surgical site or implant of 23 (72%) dogs with SSIs. There was a significant difference in cost when bacteria were isolated ($1836 versus $853, P = .002), but no impacts on likelihood of implant removal (16/23, 70% versus 6/9, 67%, P = 0.87). Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was predominant. CONCLUSIONS: SSI after TPLO are associated with a significant cost. These data help quantify those costs, to facilitate a greater understanding of the impact of SSI, and the need for infection control.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24617450/