Study authors gathered data from ACS-NSQIP for patients who underwent single-level spinal fusions. Here are five key findings:
1. Around 5.46 percent of the surgical patients experienced a delay before fusion, requiring them to wait more than a day after the scheduled fusion.
2. The risk factors for increasing the rate of surgical delay include:
• Male sex
• American Society of Anesthesiologists Class II and IV
• Chronic steroid use
3. The complications associated with patients who underwent delayed surgery include 10-fold increase in mortality rate, growing from 0.2 percent to 1.9 percent.
4. Delayed surgeries were associated with more medical system resource utilization, increased costs and worse patient outcomes.
5. Study authors concluded, “Patients with chronic steroid use and higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class may be at risk for surgical delay in lumbar fusion beyond the day of admission, and are at increased risk for significant complications postoperatively. Thorough medical evaluation and preoperative optimization may be indicated for these patients.”
More articles on spine surgery:
50 spine surgeon predictions for 2018
Lumbar, cervical disorders boosting global spinal fusion market: 4 observations
8 things for spine surgeons to know for today
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