The impact of obesity, smoking and diabetes on the susceptibility to postoperative spinal infections: A risk-based approach

The impact of obesity, smoking, and diabetes on the risk of postoperative spinal infections in patients undergoing elective spinal surgeries at a tertiary academic medical center. It evaluates the impact of obesity, smoking, and diabetes on postoperative spinal infection risk. Data was collected from patients undergoing elective spinal surgeries between January 2015 and December 2022. Infection rates were low (1.16%), with Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) identified as the most common pathogen. No significant correlation was found between individual comorbidities and infection risk, though multiple risk factors showed a trend toward increased infection risk. Thus, the role of multiple risk factors, including obesity, smoking, and diabetes, in postoperative spinal infection risk and the reliability of CRP and wound discharge as key infection indicators is reported.