Infection Risk From the Use of Continuous Local-Anesthetic Infusion Pain Pumps in Aesthetic and Reconstructive Abdominal Procedures

Postoperative pain control after abdominal procedures can be an area of significant concern. Continuous local-anesthetic infusion pain pumps have been clearly documented in recent literature to provide effective early postoperative pain control, in addition to other benefits. Our goal was to evaluate any increase in the risk of infection with the use of pain pumps with aesthetic and reconstructive abdominal procedures. A retrospective chart review evaluated 159 patients who underwent abdominoplasty (with or without suction-assisted lipectomy), panniculectomy, or a transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap for breast reconstruction. Information was collected on descriptive and demographic information, and the incidence of postoperative infection. Of the 159 patients who underwent abdominal procedures, 100 (62.9%) received the pain pump for postoperative pain control. None of those 100 patients developed an infection. Fifty-nine patients did not receive a pain pump, and 2 of those patients (3.3%) developed an infection. Overall, 1.3% (2 of 159) of patients in our study developed a postoperative infection. There is no increase in the risk of postoperative infection with the use of continuous local-anesthetic infusion pain pumps used after aesthetic and reconstructive abdominal procedures.