5 thoughts on predictors for longer hospital stays after spinal surgery

Spine

Length of stay at the hospital after surgery is critically important; too-short of a stay yields poor clinical quality and high readmission rates while too-long of a stay can expose patients to increased infection risk and costs the healthcare system millions.

A new study published in The Spine Journal examines predictors for length of stay for patients with lumbar spine surgery. Researchers examined 503 patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery, including laminotomy, laminectomy or arthrodesis.

 

Here are five key findings from the study:

 

1. The average length of stay was 4.01±2.73 days.

 

2. Pre-surgical factors were measured by:

 

• Age of the patient — the average age was 61.9±14.4
• Prior level of function — around 60.5 percent were totally independent
• Prior hemoglobin level — average was 13.7±1.36
• Assistive device use — 60 percent used assistive devices

 

3. Surgical factors were indicated by:

 

• Illness severity — 50.2 percent had minor disease severity
• Complications — 1.9 percent had complications
• Intensive care unit stays — 4 percent spent time in ICUs

 

4. The post-surgical factor was indicated by:

 

• Walking distance — the average distance was 166.23±175.75
• Assistance needed during walking — patients on average needed 5.18±0.81 out of seven points
• Balance scores — the average was 6.18±1.82
• Bed mobility and transfer dependency scores — the average scores were 9.81±1.99 out of 14 points

 

5. The pre-surgical, surgical and post surgical factors explained the 47 percent difference in length of stay. "Post-surgical factors predicted the highest variation in the LOS in comparison to pre-surgical and surgical factors and should be taken into consideration for discharge planning," concluded the study authors. "Post-surgical factors are related to the patient's function, modifiable with rehabilitation and can be improved to shorten LOS."

 

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