Surgical site infection (SSI) has been recognised in the United Kingdom (UK) as an important preventable cause of postoperative morbidity (NICE, 2008). In England, surgical site infection surveillance is co-ordinated by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Orthopaedic surgeries are the only category in which monitoring is mandated, but SSI surveillance on a range of other types of procedures is reported voluntarily by both National Health Service (NHS) and independent healthcare providers. However, vasectomy data is not included within this English national surveillance programme (HPA, 2006).There are very few studies that have identified SSI rates post vasectomy and the rates vary considerably. Many of these studies do not describe their surveillance methods or use a recognised definition of SSI, or use infection as the main study outcome. As a result a recent Cochrane review (Cook et al, 2009) on the subject of vasectomy identified only two quality studies (Sokal et al, 1999; Christensen et al, 2002). These studies found SSI rates of 9.3% and 0.8%, respectively.Specific risk factors for SSI in vasectomy patients have not been identified, but there are two procedural features which merit further investigation: technique and environment.
展开▼
