Enterobacter clocae infection: My understanding is that ...

Most often these infections are NOSOCOMIAL, meaning that they are hosptial acquired, due to prolonged ICU stay, use of multiple antibiotics including aminoglycosides / higher generation cephalosporins etc.
Other causes include foreign bodies, IV catheters, gut ulcers, liver diseases etc.
So ot answer your question while this is not a side-effect of surgery per se, it is the side-effect of prolonged hosptila stay as a result of any extensive surgery and use of antibiotics (which cannot be avoided).
Read more here
http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic678.htm
regards
Dr. Gupta

I had arthroscopic surgery 3-1-06 for a miniscual tear as an outpatient. By 3-7-06 the knee was swelling and pain was bad. The surgeon was out of town and didn't return my calls until the evening of 3-8. On 3-9-6 he pulled +/- 200 cc of blood,etc. out and started a culture and on 3-10-06 he did an emergency debridement and irrigation. Out of the hospital on 3-14. IV push thru a pic line. Infection became sensitive, another debridement and irrigation on 3-17 and out of the hospital on 3-24. IV drip for another 3 weeks and oral antibiotics for 3 more weeks. Pic line was taken out one week before finishing oral RX because it became infected. My understanding of what I've been able to find is that the infection is encapsulated in my knee.I need more surgeries in the future.(CTS in both hands and oral surgery and arthroscopy of other knee. Infection is more probable with each surgery and mortality rate is higher. Pain is to be common for the remainder of my life. Are the statements above true facts? Thank you for your time on this matter . I'm returning to the previous screen to accept your first answer for payment to you and if I can pay I'll pay a second fee for your positive answer. Thanks again. Customer (name blocked for privacy)

Thanks for accept...
I am sorry to hear about your misadventures during the surgery. As you have obviously read up a lot about this bug, I will try to answer your questions directly...
Most probably the prolonged IV line and the multiple antibiotics/ complicated stay has lead to this infection. Did the pus culture of the joint reveal this organism. or was it growing in your blood?
Infection is not more probable with each surgery if the course after surgery is short, and central lines are maintained under aspetic precautions, mortality rate would depend on a lot of factors and may not necessarily be higher.
However there may be asmall chance that with any stress (like surgery) any infection localised to a joint may spread to bloodstream, so it is important to culture your joint before attempting any further intervention..
regards
Dr. Gupta