A new study published in Spine examines reoperation rates for instrumented lumbar spinal fusions.
Study authors gathered data from Finland-based Tampere University Hospital on 433 consecutive lumbar spinal fusion patients who underwent surgery from 2008 to 2011. The patients typically underwent surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis and were followed for about four years. Study authors found:
1. Around 81 patients underwent at least one reoperation in the postoperative period.
2. The two-year reoperation rate was 12.5 percent; the four-year reoperation rate was 19.3 percent.
3. Adjacent segment disease was the most common reason for reoperation, associated with around 8.7 percent of the additional surgeries over four years.
4. The rate of early instrument failure was 4.4 percent; late instrument failure rate was 2.9 percent. Acute complications were responsible for 2.5 percent of the reoperations.
5. Study authors concluded, "Patients and surgeons should be aware of reoperation rates when planning fusion surgery."