The Adjunctive Use of Vancomycin Powder Appears Safe and May Reduce the Incidence of Surgical-Site Infections After Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery

Background Postoperative surgical-site infections (SSIs) are a common complication after deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, occurring at a quoted rate of approximately 1%−9%. Intraoperative vancomycin powder has demonstrated efficacy in reducing SSIs after cranial and spinal surgery; however, its use during DBS surgery has yet to be established. In this study, we describe the senior author's experience with the use of intraoperative vancomycin powder to prevent SSIs after DBS surgery. Methods We retrospectively examined the incidence of SSI in 297 patients who underwent DBS surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System from September 2012 to December 2015. All patients underwent a uniform perioperative antiseptic protocol, including thorough skin cleansing, intravenous anticephalosporin antibiotics, copious irrigation, and the application of topical vancomycin powder (1 g) before skin closure. Patient information was obtained through a review of electronic medical records. Primary outcome was the incidence of SSI, which was defined per the standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and confirmed with wound cultures. Results Four patients developed clinical signs and symptoms of SSI (1.3%); all were men with Parkinson disease. The primary organism responsible was Staphylococcus aureus (75%). Two patients presented with neurostimulator infections, and 2 presented with parietal connector-site infections between 2 months and 1 year after initial surgery. No patients in our series developed topical or systemic reactions attributable to the use of vancomycin powder. Conclusions In our experience, vancomycin powder has demonstrated safety and efficacy as an adjunct medication for infection prophylaxis after DBS surgery. Further prospective studies with larger patient cohorts are warranted.