Document Type
Report
Publication Date
11-14-2025
Abstract
We report a 62-year-old male who had a Heartware left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and subsequently developed a persistent driveline infection, culminating in an abscess along the driveline site despite 18 months of antibiotic treatment. His situation was further complicated post-transplant by the onset of mediastinitis, linked to a previously undervalued Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infection. This report highlights the potential risks of heart transplantation in patients with unresolved LVAD driveline infections, particularly mediastinitis. The presence of existing driveline infections, combined with the immunosuppressed status of patients, necessitates aggressive surgical measures. Our treatment approach, involving multiple mediastinal washouts, omental flap use, antibiotic bead placement, and an extended post-discharge antibiotic regimen, led to a successful patient outcome. The case emphasizes the importance of thorough antimicrobial coverage for all identified pathogens post-transplantation and advocates for aggressive surgical intervention in managing postoperative complications associated with LVAD driveline infections.
Recommended Citation
West, James Lee; Hoopes, Charles W.; Walker, Jeremey; Nellore, Anoma; and Orozco-Hernandez, Erik J., "Management of Stenotrophomonas Mediastinitis After Heart Transplantation for Persistent Driveline Infection: A Case Report" (2025). Department of Surgery Faculty Papers. Paper 312.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/surgeryfp/312
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
PubMed ID
41245817
Language
English
Comments
This article is the author’s final published version in Journal of Surgical Case Reports, Volume 2025, Issue 11, 2025, Article number rjaf892.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1093/jscr/rjaf892. Copyright © The Author(s) 2025.