Over five years, subsequent reoperation rates for single-level lumbar discectomy reached 14.4%, according to a study published in Spine.
Four things to know:
1. The study included 308,979 adult patients who had at least five years of follow up after single-level lumbar discectomy. Researchers used the PearlDiver database.
2. The five-year subsequent lumbar surgery rate was 14.4%, and the 5-year subsequent lumbar fusion rate was 6.1%.
3. A total 67,098 patients who received revision discectomy. Of those patients, the five-year subsequent lumbar surgery rate was 18.2%, and subsequent lumbar fusion rate was 12.4%.
4. The study concluded, “Five-year subsequent lumbar surgery rate following single-level lumbar discectomy was 14.4%, with a higher rate of 18.2% following revision discectomy. This is the largest cohort to date studying reoperation rates after single-level lumbar discectomy. Patients should be counseled regarding the significant risk of subsequent surgeries, particularly after revision discectomy. Fusion procedures were more frequently performed after revision discectomy, underscoring the need to carefully consider surgical planning and patient selection in recurrent lumbar disc herniation cases.”
