Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 3, 2026
10:40
Uniportal Full Endoscopic Posterolateral Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Published on: June 6, 2025
1.1K
Mortality Caused by Surgery for Degenerative Lumbar Spine
Jyrki Salmenkivi1, Reijo Sund2, Mika Paavola3
1Helsinki University Central Hospital, Consultant surgeon, Orthopedic and Traumatology, Turuntie, Espoo, Finland.
Spine
|May 2, 2017
Summary
Mortality from elective spinal surgery is rare, with a 1-year surgery-related mortality of 0.08%. Older age, male sex, diabetes, and hypertension are risk factors for death after spinal surgery.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Increasing rates of spinal surgery necessitate a focus on patient safety.
- Assessing mortality incidence and predictive factors in elective spinal surgery is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety of lumbar spine surgery for degenerative conditions.
- To identify factors predicting mortality and causes of death following spinal surgery.
Main Methods:
- A national database in Finland was used to analyze patient characteristics, surgical procedures, and outcomes.
- Patients were categorized by diagnosis: disc herniation, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, spondylolysis/spondylolisthesis.
- Mortality was analyzed at 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year, with causes of death classified.
Main Results:
- The 1-year surgery-related mortality was 0.08% (49 of 61,166 patients).
- Factors associated with increased mortality risk included age over 75, male sex, diabetes, and hypertension.
- Cardiovascular incidents were the most frequent cause of early post-operative death.
Conclusions:
- Elective spinal surgery demonstrates a low mortality rate.
- Preventing surgical errors and effectively managing complications are recommended.
- Careful consideration of surgical risks versus benefits is essential for patient safety.
