TY - JOUR
T1 - Incidence and risk factors for 30-day unplanned readmissions after elective posterior lumbar fusion
AU - Lee, Nathan J.
AU - Kothari, Parth
AU - Phan, Kevin
AU - Shin, John I.
AU - Cutler, Holt S.
AU - Lakomkin, Nikita
AU - Leven, Dante M.
AU - Guzman, Javier Z.
AU - Cho, Samuel K.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Study Design: Retrospective study of prospectively collected data. Objective: To perform a multi-institutional assessment on the incidence and risk factors for unplanned readmissions following elective posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) surgery. Summary of Background Data: Understanding what may drive rehospitalizations is a necessary step toward higher quality care. Identifying risk factors for unplanned readmission is especially important for elective PLF, which is a common procedure that is known to be associated with significant adverse events. Methods: Adult patients undergoing PLF were identified using current procedure terminology (CPT) from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). Both descriptive and comparative statistics were performed for patient characteristics, clinical factors, and postoperative complications. Subsequently, a step-wise multivariate logistic regression was employed. Results: Of the 2,301 patients who met inclusion criteria for this study, 117 were unplanned readmissions (5.1%). These occurred at a mean of 15.9 days (range: 3–30 days) after surgery. The risk-adjusted analysis revealed that bleeding disorder (OR = 2.8, CI = 1.0–7.6, P = 0.043), insulin dependent diabetes (OR = 2.5, CI = 1.4–4.4, P = 0.004), and total length of stay > 5 days (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.2–2.8, P = 0.009) were independent predictors for unplanned readmission. Significant postoperative complications included wound complications (OR = 27.6, CI = 13.9–54.8, P<0.0001), pulmonary embolism and/or deep vein thrombosis/thrombophlebitis (OR = 11.9, CI = 5.0–28.5, P<0.0001), sepsis (OR = 8.5, CI = 2.3–32.1, P = 0.002), and urinary tract infections (OR = 2.4, CI = 0.9–6.9, P=0.094). Conclusion: The unplanned readmission rate for patients undergoing PLF was low, but this studyʼs findings of potentially modifiable risk factors suggest that substantial improvement with this quality metric is possible.
AB - Study Design: Retrospective study of prospectively collected data. Objective: To perform a multi-institutional assessment on the incidence and risk factors for unplanned readmissions following elective posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) surgery. Summary of Background Data: Understanding what may drive rehospitalizations is a necessary step toward higher quality care. Identifying risk factors for unplanned readmission is especially important for elective PLF, which is a common procedure that is known to be associated with significant adverse events. Methods: Adult patients undergoing PLF were identified using current procedure terminology (CPT) from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP). Both descriptive and comparative statistics were performed for patient characteristics, clinical factors, and postoperative complications. Subsequently, a step-wise multivariate logistic regression was employed. Results: Of the 2,301 patients who met inclusion criteria for this study, 117 were unplanned readmissions (5.1%). These occurred at a mean of 15.9 days (range: 3–30 days) after surgery. The risk-adjusted analysis revealed that bleeding disorder (OR = 2.8, CI = 1.0–7.6, P = 0.043), insulin dependent diabetes (OR = 2.5, CI = 1.4–4.4, P = 0.004), and total length of stay > 5 days (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.2–2.8, P = 0.009) were independent predictors for unplanned readmission. Significant postoperative complications included wound complications (OR = 27.6, CI = 13.9–54.8, P<0.0001), pulmonary embolism and/or deep vein thrombosis/thrombophlebitis (OR = 11.9, CI = 5.0–28.5, P<0.0001), sepsis (OR = 8.5, CI = 2.3–32.1, P = 0.002), and urinary tract infections (OR = 2.4, CI = 0.9–6.9, P=0.094). Conclusion: The unplanned readmission rate for patients undergoing PLF was low, but this studyʼs findings of potentially modifiable risk factors suggest that substantial improvement with this quality metric is possible.
KW - American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
KW - arthrodesis
KW - complications
KW - morbidity
KW - mortality
KW - outcomes
KW - posterior lumbar fusion
KW - readmission
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962050427&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001586
DO - 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001586
M3 - Article
C2 - 27031773
AN - SCOPUS:84962050427
SN - 0362-2436
VL - 43
SP - 41
EP - 48
JO - Spine
JF - Spine
IS - 1
ER -