[Thromboprophylaxis and platelet aggregation inhibitors in spinal surgery: perioperative management]

[Anesthesia in spinal surgery]

Over the past 20 years improvements in surgical techniques and perioperative patient care have led to a considerable increase in surgical procedures of the spine worldwide. Therefore, the spectrum was extended from minimally invasive procedures up to complex operations over several segments of the spinal column with high loss of blood and complex perioperative management. This article presents the principal pillars of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management relating to spinal surgery. Furthermore, procedure-specific features, such as airway management in cervical spine instability or implementation of intraoperative neuromonitoring are dealt with in detail.

[Blood management in complex reconstructive spine surgery in ASD patients : Do effective measures to reduce bleeding exist?]

BACKGROUND

Blood management in reconstructive spine surgery is a challenge and must be managed interdisciplinarily. An experienced team of anesthesiologists and spine surgeons needs to work closely together.

THERAPY

After optimal preoperative preparation, the patient is given an initial dose of 1000 mg tranexamic acid. The most adequate medium blood pressure is about 80 mm Hg during surgery. The surgeon must watch for subperiosteal preparation and subtle stypsis. A cell saver is used. If the expected blood loss exceeds 1000 ml, additional tranexamic acid of 1000 mg/6 h will be infused. Epidural bleeding as well as bony hemorrhage are challenges for the spine surgeon. Epidural veins should be coagulated under the microscope before they bleed. Bone wax should be used in bony bleeding. If bleeding is uncontrollable, industrially produced hemostyptics can be used.

POST-TREATMENT

Postoperatively the risk of bleeding should be minimized under critical observation of coagulation and blood pressure. Also, a critical assessment of the anticoagulation is to be made. The drainage rate should be well documented. The surgeon must decide whether the drain is to be put on suction or on overflow. He must also decide when to remove the drainage.

Perioperative complications after surgical treatment in degenerative adult de novo scoliosis

Background

Degenerative adult de novo (DAD) scoliosis appears characteristically in the sixth or seventh decade with symptoms of severe back pain and radiculopathy or spinal claudication. The aim of this study was to enhance the knowledge of perioperative complications and detect possible risk factors in this selective DAD scoliosis surgery.

Methods

This retrospective study included only patients with DAD scoliosis undergone correction spondylodesis with previous failure of conservative treatment. Excluded were patients with other types of scoliosis and previous fusion surgeries. Patient epidemiological data, medical comorbidities and treatments were included. Intraoperative data and perioperative complications were documented. Analyses regarding early, late and no complications were undertaken.

Results

A total of 92 patients with a mean age of 67.29 ± 7.93 years and clinical follow-up visits of minimum 12 months were included. On average, 5.26 ± 2.24 segments were fused. Early complications (e.g. wound healing defects, paresis, screw loosing) occurred in 23 patients and often required a re-operation. Cardiac arrhythmias, pacemaker and coumarin derivative therapies were associated with increased perioperative complications. The transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion technique was associated with early complications. Adjacent segment failure occurred in 36% and was the major late complication. Twenty patients did not have any complications in the minimum follow-up.

Conclusions

This study analysed a selective DAD scoliosis collective and its’ surgical treatment outcomes. It identified numerous perioperative complications (adjacent segment failure, postoperative paresis and epidural hematoma) and multiple possible predisposing risk factors (e.g. operative techniques and anti-coagulation therapies). This here gained information raises awareness in preoperative patient selection and preparation. Further studies in DAD scoliosis and a risk-adjusted patient selection/preparation are needed to improve treatment quality and outcomes.