Rate and Risk Factors for SSI in Gynecologic Oncology Surgeries at a Tertiary Care Facility in a Developing Country

Introduction: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common complications in surgical patients and have serious consequences for outcomes and costs. There is a dearth of information on risk factors for developing SSI in patients undergoing gynecologic cancer surgery, and this has not been studied using national data. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence, preoperative and operative risk factors associated with the higher risk of SSIs in gynecologic cancer patients undergoing surgery in a tertiary care facility in a developing country. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospitals, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Materials and methods: Retrospective record review of gynecologic oncology patients admitted for surgery from January 2015 to December 2015 was performed. Results: A total of 100 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 15 were identified with SSIs, which were all found to be of the superficial type. Approximately, 44, 40, and 7% were diagnosed with endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancers respectively. The mean time from surgery to developing SSI was 12.9 days. Among endometrial cancer, 22.7% (10/44) had SSI compared with 7.5% (3/40) for ovarian cancer and 14.2% (1/7) for cervical cancer. The significant predictors of SSI were body mass index ≥35 (p-value <0.004), endometrial cancer diagnosis, the American Society of Anesthesiologists class more than 3, modified surgical complexity scoring system 3 to 4, and blood sugar levels more than 180 mg/dL within 48 hours after surgery in known diabetics. Conclusion: About 15% of patients undergoing laparotomy for gynecologic malignancy developed SSIs. In this study, we identified several risk factors for developing SSI among gynecologic cancer patients. These findings may contribute toward identification of patients at risk for SSIs, and the development of strategies to reduce SSI rate and potentially reduce the cost of care in gynecologic cancer surgery.