Browsing by Subject "spine surgery"

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    ItemOpen Access
    A Solution to After-Hours Fatigue and Surgical Backlog.
    (Geriatric orthopaedic surgery & rehabilitation, 2021-01) Anastasio, Albert T; Patel, Preet Shailesh; Fernandez-Moure, Joseph; Gage, Mark J
    After-hours surgery represents a novel solution that can effectively combat surgical fatigue of care teams in addition to addressing the high volume of surgical backlog associated with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. This commentary seeks to rationalize how successful employment of a dedicated after-hours surgical team and protocol has tremendous potential for increased efficiency while maintaining good surgical outcomes in patients.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Assessing the differences in characteristics of patients lost to follow-up at 2 years: results from the Quality Outcomes Database study on outcomes of surgery for grade I spondylolisthesis.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2020-02) Bisson, Erica F; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Knightly, John; Alvi, Mohammed Ali; Goyal, Anshit; Chan, Andrew K; Guan, Jian; Biase, Michael; Strauss, Andrea; Glassman, Steven; Foley, Kevin; Slotkin, Jonathan R; Potts, Eric; Shaffrey, Mark; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Haid, Regis W; Fu, Kai-Ming; Wang, Michael Y; Park, Paul; Asher, Anthony L; Bydon, Mohamad
    OBJECTIVE:Loss to follow-up has been shown to bias outcomes assessment among studies utilizing clinical registries. Here, the authors analyzed patients enrolled in a national surgical registry and compared the baseline characteristics of patients captured with those lost to follow-up at 2 years. METHODS:The authors queried the Quality Outcomes Database for patients with grade I lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis undergoing a surgical intervention between July 2014 and June 2016. Only those patients enrolled in a multisite study investigating the impact of fusion on clinical and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among patients with grade I spondylolisthesis were evaluated. RESULTS:Of the 608 patients enrolled in the study undergoing 1- or 2-level decompression (23.0%, n = 140) or 1-level fusion (77.0%, n = 468), 14.5% (n = 88) were lost to follow-up at 2 years. Patients who were lost to follow-up were more likely to be younger (59.6 ± 13.5 vs 62.6 ± 11.7 years, p = 0.031), be employed (unemployment rate: 53.3% [n = 277] for successful follow-up vs 40.9% [n = 36] for those lost to follow-up, p = 0.017), have anxiety (26.1% [n = 23] vs 16.3% [n = 85], p = 0.026), have higher back pain scores (7.4 ± 2.9 vs 6.6 ± 2.8, p = 0.010), have higher leg pain scores (7.4 ± 2.5 vs 6.4 ± 2.9, p = 0.003), have higher Oswestry Disability Index scores (50.8 ± 18.7 vs 46 ± 16.8, p = 0.018), and have lower EQ-5D scores (0.481 ± 0.2 vs 0.547 ± 0.2, p = 0.012) at baseline. CONCLUSIONS:To execute future, high-quality studies, it is important to identify patients undergoing surgery for spondylolisthesis who might be lost to follow-up. In a large, prospective registry, the authors found that those lost to follow-up were more likely to be younger, be employed, have anxiety disorder, and have worse PRO scores.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Beyond Placement of Pedicle Screws - New Applications for Robotics in Spine Surgery: A Multi-Surgeon, Single-Institution Experience.
    (Frontiers in surgery, 2022-01) Tabarestani, Troy Q; Sykes, David; Murphy, Kelly R; Wang, Timothy Y; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Goodwin, C Rory; Horne, Phillip; Than, Khoi D; Abd-El-Barr, Muhammad M
    Interest in robotic-assisted spine surgery has grown as surgeon comfort and technology has evolved to maximize benefits of time saving and precision. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has currently only approved robotics to assist in determining the ideal trajectory for pedicle screw placement after extensive research supporting its efficacy and efficiency. To be considered a durable and effective option, robotics need to expand beyond the indication of just placing pedicle screws. This article aims to illustrate a multi-surgeon, single-institution experience with unique applications of robotic technologies in spine surgery. We will explore accessing Kambin's Triangle in percutaneous transforaminal interbody fusion (percLIF), iliac fixation in metastatic cancer, and sacroiliac (SI) fusions. Each of these topics will be covered in depth with associated background information and subsequent discussion. We show that with proper understanding of its limitations, robots can help surgeons perform difficult surgeries in a safe manner.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Comparative analysis of length of stay, hospitalization costs, opioid use, and discharge status among spine surgery patients with postoperative pain management including intravenous versus oral acetaminophen.
    (Curr Med Res Opin, 2017-03-09) Hansen, Ryan N; Pham, An T; Böing, Elaine A; Lovelace, Belinda; Wan, George J; Miller, Timothy E
    BACKGROUND: Recovery from spine surgery is oriented toward restoring functional health outcomes while reducing resource use. Optimal pain management is a key to reaching these objectives. We compared outcomes of spine surgery patients who received standard pain management including intravenous (IV) acetaminophen (APAP) vs. oral APAP. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the Premier database (January 2012 to September 2015) comparing spine surgery patients who received pain management with IV APAP to those who received oral APAP, with no exclusions based on additional pain management. We performed multivariable logistic regression for the discharge and all cause 30-day readmission to the same hospital outcomes and instrumental variable regressions using the quarterly rate of IV APAP use for all hospitalizations by hospital as the instrument in two-stage least squares regressions for length of stay (LOS), hospitalization costs, and average daily morphine equivalent dose (MED) outcomes. Models adjusted for age, gender, race, admission type, 3M All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Group severity of illness and risk of mortality, hospital size, and indicators for whether the hospital was an academic center and whether it was urban or rural. RESULTS: We identified 112,586 spine surgery patients with 51,835 (46%) having received IV APAP. Subjects averaged 57 and 59 years of age respectively in the IV APAP and oral APAP cohorts and were predominantly non-Hispanic Caucasians and female. In our adjusted models, IV APAP was associated with 0.68 days shorter LOS (95% CI: -0.76 to -0.59, p < .0001), $1175 lower hospitalization costs (95% CI: -$1611 to -$739, p < .0001), 13 mg lower average daily MED (95% CI: -14 mg to -12 mg, p < .0001), 34% lower risk of discharge to a skilled nursing facility (95% CI: 0.63 to 0.69, p < .0001), and 13% less risk of 30-day readmission (95% CI: 0.73 to 1.03). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to oral APAP, managing post-spine-surgery pain with IV APAP is associated with less resource use, lower costs, lower doses of opioids, and improved discharge status.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Failure of nonoperative care in adult symptomatic lumbar scoliosis: incidence, timing, and risk factors for conversion from nonoperative to operative treatment.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2023-06) Clohisy, John CF; Smith, Justin S; Kelly, Michael P; Yanik, Elizabeth L; Baldus, Christine R; Bess, Shay; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Kim, Han Jo; LaBore, Adam; Pham, Vy; Bridwell, Keith H

    Objective

    The Adult Symptomatic Lumbar Scoliosis (ASLS) study is a prospective multicenter trial with randomized and observational cohorts comparing operative and nonoperative treatment for ASLS. The objective of the present study was to perform a post hoc analysis of the ASLS trial to examine factors related to failure of nonoperative treatment in ASLS.

    Methods

    Patients from the ASLS trial who initially received at least 6 months of nonoperative treatment were followed for up to 8 years after trial enrollment. Baseline patient-reported outcome measures (Scoliosis Research Society-22 [SRS-22] questionnaire and Oswestry Disability Index), radiographic data, and other clinical characteristics were compared between patients who did and did not convert to operative treatment during follow-up. The incidence of operative treatment was calculated and independent predictors of operative treatment were identified using multivariate regression.

    Results

    Of 135 nonoperative patients, 42 (31%) crossed over to operative treatment after 6 months and 93 (69%) received only nonoperative treatment. In the observational cohort, 23 (22%) of 106 nonoperative patients crossed over to surgery. In the randomized cohort, 19 (66%) of 29 patients randomized to nonoperative treatment crossed over to surgery. The most impactful factors associated with crossover from nonoperative to operative treatment were enrollment in the randomized cohort and baseline SRS-22 subscore < 3.0 at the 2-year follow-up, closer to 3.4 at 8 years. In addition, baseline lumbar lordosis (LL) < 50° was associated with crossover to operative treatment. Each 1-point decrease in baseline SRS-22 subscore was associated with a 233% higher risk of conversion to surgery (hazard ratio [HR] 2.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-4.76, p = 0.0212). Each 10° decrease in LL was associated with a 24% increased risk of conversion to operative treatment (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03-1.49, p = 0.0232). Enrollment in the randomized cohort was associated with a 337% higher probability of proceeding with operative treatment (HR 3.37, 95% CI 1.54-7.35, p = 0.0024).

    Conclusions

    Enrollment in the randomized cohort, a lower baseline SRS-22 subscore, and lower LL were associated with conversion from nonoperative treatment to surgery in patients (observational and randomized) who were initially managed nonoperatively in the ASLS trial.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Identifying patients at risk for nonroutine discharge after surgery for cervical myelopathy: an analysis from the Quality Outcomes Database.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2021-05) Mummaneni, Praveen V; Bydon, Mohamad; Knightly, John J; Alvi, Mohammed Ali; Yolcu, Yagiz U; Chan, Andrew K; Foley, Kevin T; Slotkin, Jonathan R; Potts, Eric A; Shaffrey, Mark E; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Fu, Kai-Ming; Wang, Michael Y; Park, Paul; Upadhyaya, Cheerag D; Asher, Anthony L; Tumialan, Luis; Bisson, Erica F

    Objective

    Optimizing patient discharge after surgery has been shown to impact patient recovery and hospital/physician workflow and to reduce healthcare costs. In the current study, the authors sought to identify risk factors for nonroutine discharge after surgery for cervical myelopathy by using a national spine registry.

    Methods

    The Quality Outcomes Database cervical module was queried for patients who had undergone surgery for cervical myelopathy between 2016 and 2018. Nonroutine discharge was defined as discharge to postacute care (rehabilitation), nonacute care, or another acute care hospital. A multivariable logistic regression predictive model was created using an array of demographic, clinical, operative, and patient-reported outcome characteristics.

    Results

    Of the 1114 patients identified, 11.2% (n = 125) had a nonroutine discharge. On univariate analysis, patients with a nonroutine discharge were more likely to be older (age ≥ 65 years, 70.4% vs 35.8%, p < 0.001), African American (24.8% vs 13.9%, p = 0.007), and on Medicare (75.2% vs 35.1%, p < 0.001). Among the patients younger than 65 years of age, those who had a nonroutine discharge were more likely to be unemployed (70.3% vs 36.9%, p < 0.001). Overall, patients with a nonroutine discharge were more likely to present with a motor deficit (73.6% vs 58.7%, p = 0.001) and more likely to have nonindependent ambulation (50.4% vs 14.0%, p < 0.001) at presentation. On multivariable logistic regression, factors associated with higher odds of a nonroutine discharge included African American race (vs White, OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.38-5.51, p = 0.004), Medicare coverage (vs private insurance, OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.00-4.65, p = 0.04), nonindependent ambulation at presentation (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.17-4.02, p = 0.01), baseline modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association severe myelopathy score (0-11 vs moderate 12-14, OR 2, 95% CI 1.07-3.73, p = 0.01), and posterior surgical approach (OR 11.6, 95% CI 2.12-48, p = 0.004). Factors associated with lower odds of a nonroutine discharge included fewer operated levels (1 vs 2-3 levels, OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.96, p = 0.009) and a higher quality of life at baseline (EQ-5D score, OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.25-0.73, p = 0.001). On predictor importance analysis, baseline quality of life (EQ-5D score) was identified as the most important predictor (Wald χ2 = 9.8, p = 0.001) of a nonroutine discharge; however, after grouping variables into distinct categories, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics (age, race, gender, insurance status, employment status) were identified as the most significant drivers of nonroutine discharge (28.4% of total predictor importance).

    Conclusions

    The study results indicate that socioeconomic and demographic characteristics including age, race, gender, insurance, and employment may be the most significant drivers of a nonroutine discharge after surgery for cervical myelopathy.
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    Impact of congestive heart failure on patients undergoing lumbar spine fusion for adult spine deformity.
    (Journal of craniovertebral junction & spine, 2024-01) Onafowokan, Oluwatobi O; Ahmad, Waleed; McFarland, Kimberly; Williamson, Tyler K; Tretiakov, Peter; Mir, Jamshaid M; Das, Ankita; Bell, Joshua; Naessig, Sara; Vira, Shaleen; Lafage, Virginie; Paulino, Carl; Diebo, Bassel; Schoenfeld, Andrew; Hassanzadeh, Hamid; Jankowski, Pawel P; Hockley, Aaron; Passias, Peter Gust

    Background

    With the increasing amount of elective spine fusion patients presenting with cardiac disease and congestive heart failure, it is becoming difficult to assess when it is safe to proceed with surgery. Assessing the severity of heart failure (HF) through ejection fraction may provide insight into patients' short- and long-term risks.

    Purpose

    The purpose of this study was to assess the severity of HF on perioperative outcomes of spine fusion surgery patients.

    Study design/setting

    This was a retrospective cohort study of the PearlDiver database.

    Patient sample

    We enrolled 670,526 patients undergoing spine fusion surgery.

    Outcome measures

    Thirty-day and 90-day complication rates, discharge destination, length of stay (LOS), physician reimbursement, and hospital costs.

    Methods

    Patients undergoing elective spine fusion surgery were isolated and stratified by preoperative HF with preserved ejection fraction (P-EF) or reduced ejection fraction (R-EF) (International Classification of Diseases-9: 428.32 [chronic diastolic HF] and 428.22 [chronic systolic HF]). Means comparison tests (Chi-squared and independent samples t-tests, as appropriate) compared differences in demographics, diagnoses, comorbidities, procedural characteristics, LOS, 30-day and 90-day complication outcomes, and total hospital charges between those diagnosed with P-EF and those not R-EF. Binary logistic regression assessed the odds of complication associated with HF, controlling for levels fused (odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval]). Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

    Results

    Totally 670,526 elective spine fusion patients were included. Four thousand and seventy-seven were diagnosed with P-EF and 2758 R-EF. Overall, P-EF patients presented with higher rates of morbid obesity, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension (all P < 0.001). In relation to No-HF, P-EF patients had higher rates of 30-day major complications including pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), myocardial infarctions (MI), sepsis, and death (all P < 0.001). Furthermore, P-EF was associated significantly with increased odds of pneumonia (OR: 2.07 [1.64-2.56], P < 0.001) and sepsis (OR: 2.09 [1.62-2.66], P < 0.001). Relative to No-HF, R-EF was associated with significantly higher odds of MI (OR: 3.66 [2.34-5.47]), CVA (OR: 2.70 [1.67-4.15]), and pneumonia (OR: 1.85 [1.40-2.40]) (all P < 0.001) postoperative within 30 days. Adjusting for prior history of MI, CAD, and the presence of a pacemaker R-EF was a significant predictor of an MI 30 days postoperatively (OR: 2.2 [1.14-4.32], P = 0.021). Further adjusting for history of CABG or stent placement, R-EF was associated with higher odds of CVA (OR: 2.11 [1.09-4.19], P = 0.028) and MI (OR: 2.27 [1.20-4.43], P = 0.013).

    Conclusions

    When evaluating the severity of HF before spine surgery, R-EF was associated with a higher risk of major complications, especially the occurrence of a myocardial infarction 30 days postoperatively. During preoperative risk assessment, congestive HF should be considered thoroughly when thinking of postoperative outcomes with emphasis on R-EF.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Individual differences in postoperative recovery trajectories for adult symptomatic lumbar scoliosis
    (JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY-SPINE, 2022) Greenberg, Jacob K; Kelly, Michael P; Landman, Joshua M; Zhang, Justin K; Bess, Shay; Smith, Justin S; Lenke, Lawrence G; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Bridwell, Keith H
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    ItemOpen Access
    Individual differences in postoperative recovery trajectories for adult symptomatic lumbar scoliosis.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2022-03) Greenberg, Jacob K; Kelly, Michael P; Landman, Joshua M; Zhang, Justin K; Bess, Shay; Smith, Justin S; Lenke, Lawrence G; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Bridwell, Keith H

    Objective

    The Adult Symptomatic Lumbar Scoliosis-1 (ASLS-1) trial demonstrated the benefit of adult symptomatic lumbar scoliosis (ASLS) surgery. However, the extent to which individuals differ in their postoperative recovery trajectories is unknown. This study's objective was to evaluate variability in and factors moderating recovery trajectories after ASLS surgery.

    Methods

    The authors used longitudinal, multilevel models to analyze postoperative recovery trajectories following ASLS surgery. Study outcomes included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score and Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) subscore, which were measured every 3 months until 2 years postoperatively. The authors evaluated the influence of preoperative disability level, along with other potential trajectory moderators, including radiographic, comorbidity, pain/function, demographic, and surgical factors. The impact of different parameters was measured using the R2, which represented the amount of variability in ODI/SRS-22 explained by each model. The R2 ranged from 0 (no variability explained) to 1 (100% of variability explained).

    Results

    Among 178 patients, there was substantial variability in recovery trajectories. Applying the average trajectory to each patient explained only 15% of the variability in ODI and 21% of the variability in SRS-22 subscore. Differences in preoperative disability (ODI/SRS-22) had the strongest influence on recovery trajectories, with patients having moderate disability experiencing the greatest and most rapid improvement after surgery. Reflecting this impact, accounting for the preoperative ODI/SRS-22 level explained an additional 56%-57% of variability in recovery trajectory, while differences in the rate of postoperative change explained another 7%-9%. Among the effect moderators tested, pain/function variables-such as visual analog scale back pain score-had the biggest impact, explaining 21%-25% of variability in trajectories. Radiographic parameters were the least influential, explaining only 3%-6% more variance than models with time alone. The authors identified several significant trajectory moderators in the final model, such as significant adverse events and the number of levels fused.

    Conclusions

    ASLS patients have highly variable postoperative recovery trajectories, although most reach steady state at 12 months. Preoperative disability was the most important influence, although other factors, such as number of levels fused, also impacted recovery.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Minimally invasive lateral retroperitoneal transpsoas approach for lumbar corpectomy and fusion with posterior instrumentation.
    (Neurosurgical focus: Video, 2022-07) Srinivasan, Ethan S; Wang, Timothy Y; Rapoport, Anna; Erickson, Melissa M; Abd-El-Barr, Muhammad M; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Than, Khoi D
    In this video, the authors highlight the operative treatment of a 55-year-old man with chronic osteomyelitis discitis. The operation entailed a minimally invasive lateral retroperitoneal transpsoas approach for L3 and L4 corpectomies, L2-5 interbody fusion, and L2-5 minimally invasive posterior instrumentation. The operation proceeded in two stages, beginning in the lateral position with corpectomy of the L3 and L4 vertebral bodies and placement of a corpectomy cage. After closure of this access wound, the patient was turned to a prone position for the posterior element of the operation. Posterior instrumentation was placed with pedicle screws at L2 and L5. The video can be found here: https://stream.cadmore.media/r10.3171/2022.3.FOCVID2210.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Open versus minimally invasive decompression for low-grade spondylolisthesis: analysis from the Quality Outcomes Database.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2020-05) Bisson, Erica F; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Virk, Michael S; Knightly, John; Alvi, Mohammed Ali; Goyal, Anshit; Chan, Andrew K; Guan, Jian; Glassman, Steven; Foley, Kevin; Slotkin, Jonathan R; Potts, Eric A; Shaffrey, Mark E; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Haid, Regis W; Fu, Kai-Ming; Wang, Michael Y; Park, Paul; Asher, Anthony L; Bydon, Mohamad
    OBJECTIVE:Lumbar decompression without arthrodesis remains a potential treatment option for cases of low-grade spondylolisthesis (i.e., Meyerding grade I). Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques have recently been increasingly used because of their touted benefits including lower operating time, blood loss, and length of stay. Herein, the authors analyzed patients enrolled in a national surgical registry and compared the baseline characteristics and postoperative clinical and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between patients undergoing open versus MIS lumbar decompression. METHODS:The authors queried the Quality Outcomes Database for patients with grade I lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis undergoing a surgical intervention between July 2014 and June 2016. Among more than 200 participating sites, the 12 with the highest enrollment of patients into the lumbar spine module came together to initiate a focused project to assess the impact of fusion on PROs in patients undergoing surgery for grade I lumbar spondylolisthesis. For the current study, only patients in this cohort from the 12 highest-enrolling sites who underwent a decompression alone were evaluated and classified as open or MIS (tubular decompression). Outcomes of interest included PROs at 2 years; perioperative outcomes such as blood loss and complications; and postoperative outcomes such as length of stay, discharge disposition, and reoperations. RESULTS:A total of 140 patients undergoing decompression were selected, of whom 71 (50.7%) underwent MIS and 69 (49.3%) underwent an open decompression. On univariate analysis, the authors observed no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of PROs at 2-year follow-up, including back pain, leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index score, EQ-5D score, and patient satisfaction. On multivariable analysis, compared to MIS, open decompression was associated with higher satisfaction (OR 7.5, 95% CI 2.41-23.2, p = 0.0005). Patients undergoing MIS decompression had a significantly shorter length of stay compared to the open group (0.68 days [SD 1.18] vs 1.83 days [SD 1.618], p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:In this multiinstitutional prospective study, the authors found comparable PROs as well as clinical outcomes at 2 years between groups of patients undergoing open or MIS decompression for low-grade spondylolisthesis.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Patient-reported outcome improvements at 24-month follow-up after fusion added to decompression for grade I degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis: a multicenter study using the Quality Outcomes Database
    (JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY-SPINE, 2021) Bisson, Erica F; Guan, Jian; Bydon, Mohamad; Alvi, Mohammed A; Goyal, Anshit; Glassman, Steven D; Foley, Kevin T; Potts, Eric A; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Shaffrey, Mark E; Coric, Domagoj; Knightly, John J; Park, Paul; Wang, Michael Y; Fu, Kai-Ming; Slotkin, Jonathan R; Asher, Anthony L; Virk, Michael S; Yew, Andrew Y; Haid, Regis W; Chan, Andrew K; Mummaneni, Praveen V
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    ItemOpen Access
    Patient-reported outcome improvements at 24-month follow-up after fusion added to decompression for grade I degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis: a multicenter study using the Quality Outcomes Database.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2021-04) Bisson, Erica F; Guan, Jian; Bydon, Mohamad; Alvi, Mohammed A; Goyal, Anshit; Glassman, Steven D; Foley, Kevin T; Potts, Eric A; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Shaffrey, Mark E; Coric, Domagoj; Knightly, John J; Park, Paul; Wang, Michael Y; Fu, Kai-Ming; Slotkin, Jonathan R; Asher, Anthony L; Virk, Michael S; Yew, Andrew Y; Haid, Regis W; Chan, Andrew K; Mummaneni, Praveen V

    Objective

    The ideal surgical management of grade I lumbar spondylolisthesis has not been determined despite extensive prior investigations. In this cohort study, the authors used data from the large, multicenter, prospectively collected Quality Outcomes Database to bridge the gap between the findings in previous randomized trials and those in a more heterogeneous population treated in a typical practice. The objective was to assess the difference in patient-reported outcomes among patients undergoing decompression alone or decompression plus fusion.

    Methods

    The primary outcome measure was change in 24-month Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in ODI score change and 30% change in ODI score at 24 months were also evaluated. After adjusting for patient-specific and clinical factors, multivariable linear and logistic regressions were employed to evaluate the impact of fusion on outcomes. To account for differences in age, sex, body mass index, and baseline listhesis, a sensitivity analysis was performed using propensity score analysis to match patients undergoing decompression only with those undergoing decompression and fusion.

    Results

    In total, 608 patients who had grade I lumbar spondylolisthesis were identified (85.5% with at least 24 months of follow-up); 140 (23.0%) underwent decompression alone and 468 (77.0%) underwent decompression and fusion. The 24-month change in ODI score was significantly greater in the fusion plus decompression group than in the decompression-only group (-25.8 ± 20.0 vs -15.2 ± 19.8, p < 0.001). Fusion remained independently associated with 24-month ODI score change (B = -7.05, 95% CI -10.70 to -3.39, p ≤ 0.001) in multivariable regression analysis, as well as with achieving the MCID for the ODI score (OR 1.767, 95% CI 1.058-2.944, p = 0.029) and 30% change in ODI score (OR 2.371, 95% CI 1.286-4.371, p = 0.005). Propensity score analysis resulted in 94 patients in the decompression-only group matched 1 to 1 with 94 patients in the fusion group. The addition of fusion to decompression remained a significant predictor of 24-month change in the ODI score (B = 2.796, 95% CI 2.228-13.275, p = 0.006) and of achieving the 24-month MCID ODI score (OR 2.898, 95% CI 1.214-6.914, p = 0.016) and 24-month 30% change in ODI score (OR 2.300, 95% CI 1.014-5.216, p = 0.046).

    Conclusions

    These results suggest that decompression plus fusion in patients with grade I lumbar spondylolisthesis may be associated with superior outcomes at 24 months compared with decompression alone, both in reduction of disability and in achieving clinically meaningful improvement. Longer-term follow-up is warranted to assess whether this effect is sustained.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Perioperative Blindness in Spine Surgery: A Scoping Literature Review.
    (Journal of clinical medicine, 2024-02) Sperber, Jacob; Owolo, Edwin; Zachem, Tanner J; Bishop, Brandon; Johnson, Eli; Lad, Eleonora M; Goodwin, C Rory
    Perioperative vision loss (POVL) is a devastating surgical complication that impacts both the recovery from surgery and quality of life, most commonly occurring after spine surgery. With rates of spine surgery dramatically increasing, the prevalence of POVL will increase proportionately. This scoping review aims to aggregate the literature pertinent to POVL in spine surgery and consolidate recommendations and preventative measures to reduce the risk of POVL. There are several causes of POVL, and the main contribution following spine surgery is ischemic optic neuropathy (ION). Vision loss often manifests immediately following surgery and is irreversible and severe. Diffusion weighted imaging has recently surfaced as a diagnostic tool to identify ION. There are no effective treatments; therefore, risk stratification for counseling and prevention are vital. Patients undergoing prone surgery of long duration and/or with significant expected blood loss are at greatest risk. Future research is necessary to develop effective treatments.
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    Predictors of nonroutine discharge among patients undergoing surgery for grade I spondylolisthesis: insights from the Quality Outcomes Database.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2019-12-06) Mummaneni, Praveen V; Bydon, Mohamad; Knightly, John; Alvi, Mohammed Ali; Goyal, Anshit; Chan, Andrew K; Guan, Jian; Biase, Michael; Strauss, Andrea; Glassman, Steven; Foley, Kevin T; Slotkin, Jonathan R; Potts, Eric; Shaffrey, Mark; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Haid, Regis W; Fu, Kai-Ming; Wang, Michael Y; Park, Paul; Asher, Anthony L; Bisson, Erica F
    OBJECTIVE:Discharge to an inpatient rehabilitation facility or another acute-care facility not only constitutes a postoperative challenge for patients and their care team but also contributes significantly to healthcare costs. In this era of changing dynamics of healthcare payment models in which cost overruns are being increasingly shifted to surgeons and hospitals, it is important to better understand outcomes such as discharge disposition. In the current article, the authors sought to develop a predictive model for factors associated with nonroutine discharge after surgery for grade I spondylolisthesis. METHODS:The authors queried the Quality Outcomes Database for patients with grade I lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis who underwent a surgical intervention between July 2014 and June 2016. Only those patients enrolled in a multisite study investigating the impact of fusion on clinical and patient-reported outcomes among patients with grade I spondylolisthesis were evaluated. Nonroutine discharge was defined as those who were discharged to a postacute or nonacute-care setting in the same hospital or transferred to another acute-care facility. RESULTS:Of the 608 patients eligible for inclusion, 9.4% (n = 57) had a nonroutine discharge (8.7%, n = 53 discharged to inpatient postacute or nonacute care in the same hospital and 0.7%, n = 4 transferred to another acute-care facility). Compared to patients who were discharged to home, patients who had a nonroutine discharge were more likely to have diabetes (26.3%, n = 15 vs 15.7%, n = 86, p = 0.039); impaired ambulation (26.3%, n = 15 vs 10.2%, n = 56, p < 0.001); higher Oswestry Disability Index at baseline (51 [IQR 42-62.12] vs 46 [IQR 34.4-58], p = 0.014); lower EuroQol-5D scores (0.437 [IQR 0.308-0.708] vs 0.597 [IQR 0.358-0.708], p = 0.010); higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score (3 or 4: 63.2%, n = 36 vs 36.7%, n = 201, p = 0.002); and longer length of stay (4 days [IQR 3-5] vs 2 days [IQR 1-3], p < 0.001); and were more likely to suffer a complication (14%, n = 8 vs 5.6%, n = 31, p = 0.014). On multivariable logistic regression, factors found to be independently associated with higher odds of nonroutine discharge included older age (interquartile OR 9.14, 95% CI 3.79-22.1, p < 0.001), higher body mass index (interquartile OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.31-3.25, p < 0.001), presence of depression (OR 4.28, 95% CI 1.96-9.35, p < 0.001), fusion surgery compared with decompression alone (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, p < 0.001), and any complication (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.4-10.9, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:In this multisite study of a defined cohort of patients undergoing surgery for grade I spondylolisthesis, factors associated with higher odds of nonroutine discharge included older age, higher body mass index, presence of depression, and occurrence of any complication.
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    Predictors of patient satisfaction after surgery for grade 1 degenerative spondylolisthesis: a 5-year analysis of the Quality Outcomes Database.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2024-08) Dru, Alexander; Johnson, Sarah E; Linzey, Joseph R; Foley, Kevin T; Digiorgio, Anthony; Alan, Nima; Coric, Domagoj; Potts, Eric A; Bisson, Erica F; Knightly, John J; Fu, Kai-Ming; Shaffrey, Mark E; Weaver, Jason; Bydon, Mohamad; Chou, Dean; Meyer, Scott A; Asher, Anthony L; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Slotkin, Jonathan R; Wang, Michael Y; Haid, Regis W; Glassman, Steven D; Virk, Michael S; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Park, Paul

    Objective

    Lumbar decompression and/or fusion surgery is a common operation for symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis refractory to conservative management. Multiyear follow-up of patient outcomes can be difficult to obtain but allows for identification of preoperative patient characteristics associated with durable pain relief, improved functional outcome, and higher patient satisfaction.

    Methods

    A query of the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) low-grade spondylolisthesis module for patients who underwent surgery for grade 1 lumbar spondylolisthesis (from July 2014 to June 2016 at the 12 highest-enrolling sites) was used to identify patient satisfaction, as measured with the North American Spine Society (NASS) questionnaire, which uses a scale of 1-4. Patients were considered satisfied if they had a score ≤ 2. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify baseline demographic and clinical predictors of long-term satisfaction 5 years after surgery.

    Results

    Of 573 eligible patients from a cohort of 608, patient satisfaction data were available for 81.2%. Satisfaction (NASS score of 1 or 2) was reported by 389 patients (83.7%) at 5-year follow-up. Satisfied patients were predominantly White and ambulation independent and had lower baseline BMI, lower back pain levels, lower Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, and greater EQ-5D index scores at baseline when compared to the unsatisfied group. No significant differences in reoperation rates between groups were reported at 5 years. On multivariate analysis, patients who were independently ambulating at baseline had greater odds of long-term satisfaction (OR 1.12, p = 0.04). Patients who had higher 5-year ODI scores (OR 0.99, p < 0.01) and were uninsured (OR 0.43, p = 0.01) were less likely to report long-term satisfaction.

    Conclusions

    Lumbar surgery for the treatment of grade 1 spondylolisthesis can provide lasting pain relief with high patient satisfaction. Baseline independent ambulation is associated with a higher long-term satisfaction rate after surgery. Higher ODI scores at 5-year follow-up and uninsured status are associated with lower postoperative long-term satisfaction.
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    Research using the Quality Outcomes Database: accomplishments and future steps toward higher-quality real-world evidence.
    (Journal of neurosurgery, 2023-05) Asher, Anthony L; Haid, Regis W; Stroink, Ann R; Michalopoulos, Giorgos D; Alexander, A Yohan; Zeitouni, Daniel; Chan, Andrew K; Virk, Michael S; Glassman, Steven D; Foley, Kevin T; Slotkin, Jonathan R; Potts, Eric A; Shaffrey, Mark E; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Park, Paul; Upadhyaya, Cheerag; Coric, Domagoj; Tumialán, Luis M; Chou, Dean; Fu, Kai-Ming G; Knightly, John J; Orrico, Katie O; Wang, Michael Y; Bisson, Erica F; Mummaneni, Praveen V; Bydon, Mohamad

    Objective

    The Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) was established in 2012 by the NeuroPoint Alliance, a nonprofit organization supported by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Currently, the QOD has launched six different modules to cover a broad spectrum of neurosurgical practice-namely lumbar spine surgery, cervical spine surgery, brain tumor, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), functional neurosurgery for Parkinson's disease, and cerebrovascular surgery. This investigation aims to summarize research efforts and evidence yielded through QOD research endeavors.

    Methods

    The authors identified all publications from January 1, 2012, to February 18, 2023, that were produced by using data collected prospectively in a QOD module without a prespecified research purpose in the context of quality surveillance and improvement. Citations were compiled and presented along with comprehensive documentation of the main study objective and take-home message.

    Results

    A total of 94 studies have been produced through QOD efforts during the past decade. QOD-derived literature has been predominantly dedicated to spinal surgical outcomes, with 59 and 22 studies focusing on lumbar and cervical spine surgery, respectively, and 6 studies focusing on both. More specifically, the QOD Study Group-a research collaborative between 16 high-enrolling sites-has yielded 24 studies on lumbar grade 1 spondylolisthesis and 13 studies on cervical spondylotic myelopathy, using two focused data sets with high data accuracy and long-term follow-up. The more recent neuro-oncological QOD efforts, i.e., the Tumor QOD and the SRS Quality Registry, have contributed 5 studies, providing insights into the real-world neuro-oncological practice and the role of patient-reported outcomes.

    Conclusions

    Prospective quality registries are an important resource for observational research, yielding clinical evidence to guide decision-making across neurosurgical subspecialties. Future directions of the QOD efforts include the development of research efforts within the neuro-oncological registries and the American Spine Registry-which has now replaced the inactive spinal modules of the QOD-and the focused research on high-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis and cervical radiculopathy.
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    Role of obesity in less radiographic correction and worse health-related quality-of-life outcomes following minimally invasive deformity surgery.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2022-02) Than, Khoi D; Mehta, Vikram A; Le, Vivian; Moss, Jonah R; Park, Paul; Uribe, Juan S; Eastlack, Robert K; Chou, Dean; Fu, Kai-Ming; Wang, Michael Y; Anand, Neel; Passias, Peter G; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Okonkwo, David O; Kanter, Adam S; Nunley, Pierce; Mundis, Gregory M; Fessler, Richard G; Mummaneni, Praveen V

    Objective

    Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for adult spinal deformity (ASD) can offer deformity correction with less tissue manipulation and damage. However, the impact of obesity on clinical outcomes and radiographic correction following MIS for ASD is poorly understood. The goal of this study was to determine the role, if any, that obesity has on radiographic correction and health-related quality-of-life measures in MIS for ASD.

    Methods

    Data were collected from a multicenter database of MIS for ASD. This was a retrospective review of a prospectively collected database. Patient inclusion criteria were age ≥ 18 years and coronal Cobb angle ≥ 20°, pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch ≥ 10°, or sagittal vertical axis (SVA) > 5 cm. A group of patients with body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m2 was the control cohort; BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 was used to define obesity. Obesity cohorts were categorized into BMI 30-34.99 and BMI ≥ 35. All patients had at least 1 year of follow-up. Preoperative and postoperative health-related quality-of-life measures and radiographic parameters, as well as complications, were compared via statistical analysis.

    Results

    A total of 106 patients were available for analysis (69 control, 17 in the BMI 30-34.99 group, and 20 in the BMI ≥ 35 group). The average BMI was 25.24 kg/m2 for the control group versus 32.46 kg/m2 (p < 0.001) and 39.5 kg/m2 (p < 0.001) for the obese groups. Preoperatively, the BMI 30-34.99 group had significantly more prior spine surgery (70.6% vs 42%, p = 0.04) and worse preoperative numeric rating scale leg scores (7.71 vs 5.08, p = 0.001). Postoperatively, the BMI 30-34.99 cohort had worse Oswestry Disability Index scores (33.86 vs 23.55, p = 0.028), greater improvement in numeric rating scale leg scores (-4.88 vs -2.71, p = 0.012), and worse SVA (51.34 vs 26.98, p = 0.042) at 1 year postoperatively. Preoperatively, the BMI ≥ 35 cohort had significantly worse frailty (4.5 vs 3.27, p = 0.001), Oswestry Disability Index scores (52.9 vs 44.83, p = 0.017), and T1 pelvic angle (26.82 vs 20.71, p = 0.038). Postoperatively, after controlling for differences in frailty, the BMI ≥ 35 cohort had significantly less improvement in their Scoliosis Research Society-22 outcomes questionnaire scores (0.603 vs 1.05, p = 0.025), higher SVA (64.71 vs 25.33, p = 0.015) and T1 pelvic angle (22.76 vs 15.48, p = 0.029), and less change in maximum Cobb angle (-3.93 vs -10.71, p = 0.034) at 1 year. The BMI 30-34.99 cohort had significantly more infections (11.8% vs 0%, p = 0.004). The BMI ≥ 35 cohort had significantly more implant complications (30% vs 11.8%, p = 0.014) and revision surgery within 90 days (5% vs 1.4%, p = 0.034).

    Conclusions

    Obese patients who undergo MIS for ASD have less correction of their deformity, worse quality-of-life outcomes, more implant complications and infections, and an increased rate of revision surgery compared with their nonobese counterparts, although both groups benefit from surgery. Appropriate counseling should be provided to obese patients.
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    Surgical correction of severe adult lumbar scoliosis (major curves ≥ 75°): retrospective analysis with minimum 2-year follow-up.
    (Journal of neurosurgery. Spine, 2019-06-21) Buell, Thomas J; Chen, Ching-Jen; Nguyen, James H; Christiansen, Peter A; Murthy, Saikiran G; Buchholz, Avery L; Yen, Chun-Po; Shaffrey, Mark E; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Smith, Justin S
    OBJECTIVE:Prior reports have demonstrated the efficacy of surgical correction for adult lumbar scoliosis. Many of these reports focused on mild to moderate scoliosis. The authors' objective was to report their experience and to assess outcomes and complications after deformity correction for severe adult scoliosis. METHODS:The authors retrospectively analyzed consecutive adult scoliosis patients with major thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) curves ≥ 75° who underwent deformity correction at their institution. Those eligible with a minimum 2 years of follow-up were included. Demographic, surgical, coronal and sagittal plane radiographic measurements, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) scores were analyzed. RESULTS:Among 26 potentially eligible patients, 22 (85%) had a minimum 2 years of follow-up (range 24-89 months) and were included in the study (mean age 57 ± 11 years; 91% women). The cohort comprised 16 (73%), 4 (18%), and 2 (9%) patients with adult idiopathic scoliosis, de novo degenerative scoliosis, and iatrogenic scoliosis, respectively. The surgical approach was posterior-only and multistage anterior-posterior in 18 (82%) and 4 (18%) patients, respectively. Three-column osteotomy was performed in 5 (23%) patients. Transforaminal and anterior lumbar interbody fusion were performed in 14 (64%) and 4 (18%) patients, respectively. All patients had sacropelvic fixation with uppermost instrumented vertebra in the lower thoracic spine (46% [10/22]) versus upper thoracic spine (55% [12/22]). The mean fusion length was 14 ± 3 levels. Preoperative major TL/L and lumbosacral fractional (L4-S1) curves were corrected from 83° ± 8° to 28° ± 13° (p < 0.001) and 34° ± 8° to 13° ± 6° (p < 0.001), respectively. Global coronal and sagittal balance significantly improved from 5 ± 4 cm to 1 ± 1 cm (p = 0.001) and 9 ± 8 cm to 2 ± 3 cm (p < 0.001), respectively. Pelvic tilt significantly improved from 33° ± 9° to 23° ± 10° (p < 0.001). Significant improvement in HRQL measures included the following: Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) pain score (p = 0.009), SRS appearance score (p = 0.004), and SF-12/SF-36 physical component summary (PCS) score (p = 0.026). Transient and persistent neurological deficits occurred in 8 (36%) and 2 (9%) patients, respectively. Rod fracture/pseudarthrosis occurred in 6 (27%) patients (supplemental rods were utilized more recently in 23%). Revisions were performed in 7 (32%) patients. CONCLUSIONS:In this single-center surgical series for severe adult scoliosis (major curves ≥ 75°), a posterior-only or multistage anterior-posterior approach provided major curve correction of 66% and significant improvements in global coronal and sagittal spinopelvic alignment. Significant improvements were also demonstrated in HRQL measures (SRS pain, SRS appearance, and SF-12/SF-36 PCS). Complications and revisions were comparable to those of other reports involving less severe scoliosis. The results of this study warrant future prospective multicenter studies to further delineate outcomes and complication risks for severe adult scoliosis correction.
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    The Impact of Peri-operative Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols on Outcomes Following Adult Cervical Deformity Surgery.
    (Global spine journal, 2024-04) Tretiakov, Peter S; Onafowokan, Oluwatobi O; Mir, Jamshaid M; Lorentz, Nathan; Galetta, Matthew; Das, Ankita; Shin, John; Sciubba, Daniel; Krol, Oscar; Joujon-Roche, Rachel; Williamson, Tyler; Imbo, Bailey; Yee, Timothy; Jankowski, Pawel P; Hockley, Aaron; Schoenfeld, Andrew J; Passias, Peter G

    Study design

    Retrospective cohort study.

    Objectives

    To assess the impact of Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols on peri-operative course in adult cervical deformity (ACD) corrective surgery.

    Methods

    Patients ≥18 yrs with complete pre-(BL) and up to 2-year (2Y) radiographic and clinical outcome data were stratified by enrollment in an ERAS protocol that commenced in 2020. Differences in demographics, clinical outcomes, radiographic alignment targets, peri-operative factors and complication rates were assessed via means comparison analysis. Logistic regression analysed differences while controlling for baseline disability and deformity.

    Results

    We included 220 patients (average age 58.1 ± 11.9 years, 48% female). 20% were treated using the ERAS protocol (ERAS+). Disability was similar between both groups at baseline. When controlling for baseline disability and myelopathy, ERAS- patients were more likely to utilize opioids than ERAS+ (OR 1.79, 95% CI: 1.45-2.50, P = .016). Peri-operatively, ERAS+ had significantly lower operative time (P < .021), lower EBL (583.48 vs 246.51, P < .001), and required significantly lower doses of propofol intra-operatively than ERAS- patients (P = .020). ERAS+ patients also reported lower mean LOS overall (4.33 vs 5.84, P = .393), and were more likely to be discharged directly to home (χ2(1) = 4.974, P = .028). ERAS+ patients were less likely to require steroids after surgery (P = .045), were less likely to develop neuromuscular complications overall (P = .025), and less likely experience venous complications or be diagnosed with venous disease post-operatively (P = .025).

    Conclusions

    Enhanced recovery after surgery programs in ACD surgery demonstrate significant benefit in terms of peri-operative outcomes for patients.