Alcohol Consumption Is a Risk Factor of Surgical Site Infection After Minimally Invasive Surgery: A Secondary Observational Analysis of a Clinical Trial

ABSTRACT Background Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the postoperative complications. Risk factors for SSI primarily pertain to laparotomy, particularly within the field of gastroenterological surgery. It has been reported that laparoscopic surgery is associated with a lower incidence of SSI compared to open surgery; however, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has become increasingly widespread in recent years. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the risk factors for SSI specifically in patients undergoing MIS. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of 529 patients selected from a previously reported clinical trial that focused on gastroenterological surgery and included 697 participants. The patient undergoing elective MIS were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of SSI, and the risk factors associated with SSI in MIS were examined. Results SSI within 30 days after surgery was observed in 62 patients (11.7%). In the univariate analysis, male sex, alcohol consumption, bleeding, and operation time were significantly more frequent in the SSI group ( p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis was performed including these variables as well as current smoking, immunosuppressive drugs, diabetes, and serum albumin. Only alcohol consumption showed a statistically significant association with SSI (odds ratio: 2.818, 95% confidence interval: 1.510–5.260, p = 0.001). Conclusion The findings of this study revealed that alcohol consumption is significantly associated with SSI occurrence in patients undergoing MIS for gastroenterological indications. Whether preoperative abstinence from alcohol prevents the occurrence of SSI warrants further investigation.