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. 2023 Jan;13(1):74-80.
doi: 10.1177/2192568221991101. Epub 2021 Jan 28.

Unplanned Readmission Following Early Postoperative Complications After Fusion Surgery in Adult Spine Deformity: A Multicentric Study

Gaston Camino-Willhuber  1   2 , Alfredo Guiroy  2   3 , Mariano Servidio  4 , Nelson Astur  2   5   6 , Fernando Nin-Vilaró  7 , Fernando Alvarado-Gomez  8 , Murilo Daher  9 , Bruno Saciloto  10 , Allan Ono  11 , Olavo Letaif  12 , Baron Zarate-Kalfopulos  2   13 , Ratko Yurac  2   14   15 , Emiliano Vialle  2   16 , Marcelo Valacco  2   4
Affiliations

Unplanned Readmission Following Early Postoperative Complications After Fusion Surgery in Adult Spine Deformity: A Multicentric Study

Gaston Camino-Willhuber et al. Global Spine J. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Study design: Multicentric retrospective study, Level of evidence III.

Objective: The objective of this multicentric study was to analyze the prevalence and risk factors of early postoperative complications in adult spinal deformity patients treated with fusion. Additionally, we studied the impact of complications on unplanned readmission and hospital length of stay.

Methods: Eight spine centers from 6 countries in Latin America were involved in this study. Patients with adult spinal deformity treated with fusion surgery from 2017 to 2019 were included. Baseline and surgical characteristics such as age, sex, comorbidities, smoking, number of levels fused, number of surgical approaches were analyzed. Postoperative complications at 30 days were recorded according to Clavien-Dindo and Glassman classifications.

Results: 172 patients (120 females/52 males, mean age 59.4 ± 17.6) were included in our study. 78 patients suffered complications (45%) at 30 days, 43% of these complications were considered major. Unplanned readmission was observed in 35 patients (20,3%). Risk factors for complications were: Smoking, previous comorbidities, number of levels fused, two or more surgical approaches and excessive bleeding. Hospital length of stay in patients without and with complications was of 7.8 ± 13.7 and 17 ± 31.1 days, respectively (P 0.0001).

Conclusion: The prevalence of early postoperative complications in adult spinal deformity patients treated with fusion was of 45% in our study with 20% of unplanned readmissions at 30 days. Presence of complications significantly increased hospital length of stay.

Keywords: adult spinal deformity; clavien-dindo classification; hospital length of stay; postoperative complications; readmission.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distribution of postoperative complications according to Clavien-Dindo Classification, type II complications were the most common (42%) followed by IIIB (30.8%).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Distribution of complications according to Glassman, 57% were considered minor complications and 43% were major.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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