Question for docs - infection?

[Marko Ramius]

So I am a first-year medical student, and we just got done with our head/neck section of anatomy (got an A on the lab practical, and one of the highest grades in my class, I'm proud to say). One thing we learned was that, with all the valveless veins, such as emissary veins, etc. in the scalp, draining right into the dural venous sinuses, infections could easily spread, leading to meningitis, etc.

 

How much of an issue is this with this kind of surgery? Obviously, these procedures are done all the time without any kind of complications. Is this even a concern, or is it just theoretical? Or is it more common in pts with a scalp lac who don't clean it or something?

 

Just curious. As a former HT pt myself, it was the first thing that came to mind when we did that lecture.

 

By the way, I'm more than three months post-HT, and everything is progressing nicely. Unfortunately, no pictures, but I'm already seeing a lot of growth from my ~1500-ish grafts, and have been for more than a month now.

[Marko Ramius]

So I am a first-year medical student, and we just got done with our head/neck section of anatomy (got an A on the lab practical, and one of the highest grades in my class, I'm proud to say). One thing we learned was that, with all the valveless veins, such as emissary veins, etc. in the scalp, draining right into the dural venous sinuses, infections could easily spread, leading to meningitis, etc.

 

How much of an issue is this with this kind of surgery? Obviously, these procedures are done all the time without any kind of complications. Is this even a concern, or is it just theoretical? Or is it more common in pts with a scalp lac who don't clean it or something?

 

Just curious. As a former HT pt myself, it was the first thing that came to mind when we did that lecture.

 

By the way, I'm more than three months post-HT, and everything is progressing nicely. Unfortunately, no pictures, but I'm already seeing a lot of growth from my ~1500-ish grafts, and have been for more than a month now.