Key result
A vagus nerve stimulator pocket infection was successfully treated with a single surgical debridement and six weeks of antibiotics without removing the hardware.
Why the study?
Postoperative vagus nerve stimulator pocket infections are challenging and typically require complete hardware removal due to biofilm formation, with attempts to retain hardware resulting in high recurrence rates.
Does surgical debridement and antibiotics without hardware removal successfully treat vagus nerve stimulator pocket infection?
Case Report (n=1)
Does surgical debridement and antibiotics without hardware removal successfully treat vagus nerve stimulator pocket infection?
Vagus nerve stimulator pocket infections may potentially be treated successfully with surgical debridement and antibiotics without requiring complete hardware removal.
May allow hardware salvage in select VNS infections; leaves open need for prospective validation.
The management of postoperative pocket infections after vagus nerve stimulator implantation is challenging. Most patients present within four weeks after the implantation of the device and Staphylococcus aureus is the most common infecting agent. Standard medical practice involves the complete hardware removal and antibiotics to achieve long-term cure, with the subsequent reimplantation of the device. Attempts to treat these infections without the removal of the hardware led to high infection recurrence rates because of the formation of staphylococcal biofilms on the device. We present a case of vagus nerve stimulator infection treated successfully with a single surgical debridement of the infected wound and six weeks of antibiotic treatment, but without removing the hardware.
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Martin Bláha (2020) conducted a case report in Vagus nerve stimulator pocket infection (n=1). Surgical debridement and antibiotics without hardware removal was evaluated on Infection resolution. A vagus nerve stimulator pocket infection was successfully treated with a single surgical debridement and six weeks of antibiotics without removing the hardware.
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