A new study published in Spine examines surgical utilization for civilian gunshot-induced spinal cord injuries.
The study authors examined data from 489 gunshot-induced spinal cord injuries. The patients were transferred to a single institution between 2000 and 2014. Ninety-one — 18 percent — of the patients underwent initial surgery. Here are five key notes from the study:
1. Three-quarters of the patients who underwent surgery weren't indicated for surgery based on the literature standards.
2. Five of the patients who underwent initial surgery required a second surgery; two of the 398 patients who initially received conservative treatment eventually underwent surgery.
3. The overutilization rate was 14.1 percent.
4. The researchers didn't report a difference between the two groups in pain scores or patient perceived improvement.
5. The patients who underwent surgery had a higher infection rate when compared with the nonsurgical patients.
"Surgery done without a clear, demonstrable benefit poses unnecessary risk to patients and accumulates unwarranted healthcare costs," concluded the study authors.