Case of late-onset, relapsing surgical site infection related to a venous coupler placed during free flap reconstruction for major head and neck cancer.

Abstract

Venous coupling devices are widely used during reconstructive surgery involving microvascular anastomosis but have not served as foreign bodies in head and neck surgical site infections. We conducted a case report. A patient underwent resection and free flap reconstruction for recurrent tongue squamous cell carcinoma. She developed a neck abscess due to Streptococcus intermedius 7 weeks postoperatively, days after starting chemoradiotherapy. The surgical site infection healed with drainage and antibiotics. Two surgical site infection relapses due to S. intermedius occurred 3 and 8 weeks after completing radiation, the second relapse after a prolonged course of i.v. antibiotics. Surgical exploration revealed a venous coupler within granulation tissue. The device was removed and no further surgical site infection relapses occurred. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a delayed-onset head and neck surgical site infection in which a venous coupler served as a foreign body. An infected foreign body should be suspected in relapsing surgical site infections due to a single organism.