Researchers used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to identify all patients who underwent spine surgery from 2005-2008. Of the 3,475 patients reported in the database, there were 407 complications among 263 patients and 10 patient deaths.
As the patients’ age and operative time increased, the risk of complications increased as well. Comorbidities such as cardiac disease, preoperative neurological abnormalities, prior wound infection, corticosteroid use and a history of sepsis were also associated with an increased complication risk. Increased patient age and contaminated or infected wounds were independent predictors of mortality, according to the report.
Read the abstract on the study about complication risk after spine surgery.
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