Would You Do It Again? Discrepancies Between Patient and Surgeon Perceptions Following Adult Spine Deformity Surgery

Willingness to undergo the same surgery again among older patients who have undergone corrective fusion surgery for adult spinal deformity

Despite less invasive surgical procedures in adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery, some older patients have complications and long recovery time. We investigated patients' willingness to undergo the same surgery again and sought to elucidate the factors related to their perception of surgical outcomes. Enrolled were 60 of our patients (≥65 years old) that underwent long corrective fusion using lateral interbody fusion and who had a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. Patients were asked whether they would theoretically undergo the same surgery again: 28 answered yes (46.7 %; Group-Y), and 32 answered no (53.3 %; Group-N). There was no difference between the groups in age, sex, body mass index, frailty, preoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs; Oswestry disability index [ODI] and Scoliosis Research Society 22r [SRS-22r]), surgical time, estimated blood loss, or pre-operative and 2-year post-operative radiographic parameters. Major complications had occurred more frequently in Group-N (P = 0.048). Although at 2-year follow-up there was significant improvement of spinal deformity and PROs (P < 0.001) in both groups, PROs in Group-N were inferior (Visual analogue scale [VAS] for low back pain, P = 0.043; VAS for satisfaction, P = 0.001; ODI: P = 0.005; SRS-22r: pain, P = 0.032; self-image, P = 0.014; subtotal, P = 0.005; satisfaction, P < 0.001). After multivariate logistic regression analysis with the willingness to undergo the same surgery again as an objective factor, incidence of major complication was found to be an independently-associated factor in unwillingness to undergo the same surgery again for older patients with ASD if they had the same condition in the future. Avoiding major perioperative complications is important in obtaining satisfactory perception of outcomes in ASD surgery.

Long-term Outcomes After Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery Using Lateral Interbody Fusion: Short Versus Long Fusion

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate long-term outcomes after short or long fusion for adult spinal deformity using lateral interbody fusion.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Lateral interbody fusion is commonly used in adult spinal deformity surgery. Favorable short-term outcomes have been reported, but not long-term outcomes. Lateral interbody fusion with strong ability to correct deformity may allow the selection of short fusion techniques.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed adults who underwent this surgery with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up. Short fusion with the uppermost instrumented vertebra in the lumbar spine was performed in patients without degenerative changes at the thoracolumbar junction (S-group); others underwent long fusion with the uppermost instrumented vertebra in the thoracic spine (L-group). We assessed radiographic and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Short fusion was performed in 29 of 54 patients. One patient per group required revision surgery. Of the remainder, with similar preoperative characteristics and deformity correction between groups, correction loss (pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis, P=0.003; pelvic tilt, P=0.005; sagittal vertical axis, P˂0.001) occurred within 2 years postoperatively in the S-group, and sagittal vertical axis continued to increase until the 5-year follow-up (P=0.021). Although there was a significant change in Oswestry disability index in the S-group (P=0.031) and self-image of Scoliosis Research Society 22r score in both groups (P=0.045 and 0.02) from 2- to 5-year follow-up, minimum clinically important differences were not reached. At 5-year follow-up, there was a significant difference in Oswestry Disability Index (P=0.013) and Scoliosis Research Society 22r scores (function: P=0.028; pain: P=0.003; subtotal: P=0.006) between the groups, but satisfaction scores were comparable and Oswestry Disability Index score (29.8%) in the S-group indicated moderate disability.

CONCLUSIONS

Health-related quality of life was maintained between 2- and 5-year follow-up in both groups. Short fusion may be an option for patients without degenerative changes at the thoracolumbar junction.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.