Risk factors for surgical-site infection following common femoral artery endarterectomy.

Surgical-site infection is a major complication following endarterectomy of the common femoral artery. The aim of this single-center study was to determine risk factors for surgical-site infection after endarterectomy of the common femoral artery and especially the possible association between patch type (venous, bovine, or prosthetic) and the occurrence of groin infection. Retrospectively 140 patients who underwent an endarterectomy of the common femoral artery between 2003 and 2006 were reviewed. About 20 patients (14%) suffered from a surgical-site infection (12 superficial and 8 deep, of which 2 with involvement of the patch). All infections occurred within 30 days postoperatively. There was no statistically significant difference between type of patch and surgical-site infection. However, using multivariate analysis, previous arterial surgery in the groin (P = .013) and a wound drain left postoperatively (P = .016) were independent variables for the development of a surgical-site infection after endarterectomy of the common femoral artery.