Outpatient anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for cervical disk disease: a prospective consecutive series of 96 patients

Thirty-Day Morbidity After Single-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Identification of Risk Factors and Emphasis on the Safety of Outpatient Procedures

BACKGROUND

Risk factors for complication after single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion remain poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence and risk factors for complication from a large, prospectively collected database, with a separate emphasis on the safety of outpatient procedures.

METHODS

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program prospectively collects thirty-day morbidity and mortality data from more than 480 hospitals around the United States. We retrospectively queried this database to identify cases of single-level elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for complication, and a propensity score model was used to create matched inpatient and outpatient cohorts.

RESULTS

Of 2914 cases identified, 597 (20.5%) received outpatient treatment and 2317 (79.5%) received inpatient treatment. The overall incidence of any systemic morbidity was 3.2%. There were five mortalities (0.2%), four in the inpatient cohort and one in the outpatient cohort. Patient age over sixty-five years, body mass index of >30 kg/m², American Society of Anesthesiologists class of 3 or 4, current dialysis, current corticosteroid use, recent sepsis, and operative times longer than 120 minutes were each independent risk factors for complication in the multivariate analysis. After propensity score matching to control for comorbidities, there were no significant differences in complication rates between inpatients and outpatients, and outpatient treatment was not a risk factor for complication in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Single-level elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion had low complication rates, with no additional risk seen with outpatient as compared with inpatient procedures. It seems reasonable to consider inpatient admission for any patient with the risk factors identified here, particularly difficult airways. This information may be useful to surgeons performing informed consents for medical optimization and for selecting patients most appropriate for outpatient treatment.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Four-fold benefit of wound closure under high magnification

Background:

Unaffected wound healing and good cosmetic result after a neurosurgical procedure are important factors measuring a level of care. The usefulness of high magnification of the operating microscope during closure of neurosurgical wounds is evaluated.

Methods:

During a one-year microneurosurgical fellowship, the first author (JK) performed wound closure under the microscope in 200 of 524 neurosurgical operations carried out by the senior author (JH) at the Department of Neurosurgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital. Supratentorial approaches were employed most frequently in 143 patients (72%). Surgeries for infratentorial lesions and the spinal canal comprised 48 (24%) and 9 procedures (4%), respectively. Mean duration of the surgery from skin to skin was 1.8 (range 0.5-6.2) hours. After intradural hemostasis was completed by the senior author, further steps including dural suturing, bone flap fixation, and wound closure were performed by the first author. Wound condition was assessed during the early and late postoperative period. Mean follow-up was 3.2 (range 1-10) months.

Results:

Early postoperative healing of the wound was uneventful in 180 patients (90%). No wound rupture or postoperative hematoma occurred. In five patients (2.5%), lumbar puncture or spinal drainage was necessary due to significant subcutaneous liquor collection. No wound revision was required. At follow-up, in 196 patients (98%) the postoperative scar was in perfect condition. Neither skin necrosis nor healing problems occurred.

Conclusion:

Based on our results, we found the high magnification of operating microscope to be beneficial when closing neurosurgical wounds; it allows (1) better hemostasis, (2) precise wound margin approximation, (3) atraumatic handling of the tissues, and (4) improvement of the manual dexterity of the neurosurgeon.