Incidence and Risk Factors for Perioperative Cardiovascular Complications in Spine Surgery

5-year outcomes of surgical intervention in patients with adult spine deformity according to preoperative 5-item modified frailty index scores

PURPOSE

Frailty increases vulnerability to dependency and/or death, and is important in predicting the risk for adverse effects following adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. For easy determination of frailty, the 5-item modified frailty index (mFI-5) was established. However, there are few reports that show the relationship between frailty and mid-term operative outcomes after ASD surgery. The objective of this retrospective study is to determine the correlation of frailty using mFi-5 scores with postoperative medical complications, patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), and radiographic alignment 5 years after ASD surgery.

METHODS

208 patients were divided into robust (R), pre-frail (PF), and frail (F) groups based on mFI-5 scores. Postoperative medical complications, preoperative and 5-year follow-up PROMs and radiographic alignment were evaluated.

RESULTS

The study included 91, 79, and 38 patients in group R, PF, and F, respectively. There was no significant difference in age and sex. Discharge to care facility (16 (18%):21 (27%):16 (42%), p = 0.014) and postoperative cardiac complications (2 (2%):0 (0%):3 (8%), p = 0.031) were higher in frail patients. Preoperative ODI (38.3:45.3:54.7, p < 0.001) and SRS-22 (2.7:2.5:2.3, p = 0.004), 5-year postoperative ODI (27:27.2:37.9, p = 0.015), 5-year postoperative SVA (57.8°:78.5°:86.4°, p = 0.039) and 5-year postoperative TPA (23.9°:29.4°:29.5°, p = 0.011) were significantly worse in group F compared to group R.

CONCLUSION

Postoperatively, frail patients are more likely to have cardiac complications, inferior PROMs and deterioration of post-correction global spinal alignment. Preoperative assessment using mFI-5 is beneficial to individualize risks, optimize patients, and manage postoperative expectations.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3

Management of Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease in Spine Surgery

In ischemic heart disease (IHD), the myocardium does not receive enough blood and oxygen. Although the IHD-related mortality rate is decreasing, the risk remains and is a major predictor of cardiac complications following noncardiac surgery. Given the increase in the older population, the number of patients with spinal diseases requiring surgery is increasing. Among these patients, those with underlying IHD or a high risk of cardiac complications before and after surgery are also increasing. Given that cardiac complications following spinal surgery are associated with delayed patient recovery and even death, spinal surgeons should be knowledgeable about overall patient management, including medication therapy in those at high risk of developing perioperative cardiac complications for successful patient care. Before surgery, the underlying medical conditions of patients should be evaluated. Patients with a history of myocardial infarction should be checked for a history of surgical treatments, and the anticoagulant dose should be controlled depending on the surgery type. In addition, the functional status of patients must be examined before surgery. Functional status can be assessed according to the metabolic equivalent of task (MET). More preoperative cardiac examinations are needed for patients who are unable to perform four METs in daily because of the high risk of postoperative cardiac complications. Patients with a history of IHD require appropriate preoperative management and further postoperative evaluation. When considering surgery, spinal surgeons should be knowledgeable about patient care before and after surgery.