Lack of Consensus in Physician Recommendations Regarding Return to Driving After Cervical Spine Surgery

A cross-sectional study.

The goal of this study is to investigate how surgeons differ in collar and narcotic use, as well as return to driving recommendations following cervical spine surgeries and the associated medico-legal ramifications of these conditions.

Restoration of quality of life is one of the main goals of cervical spine surgery. Patients frequently inquire when they may safely resume driving after cervical spine surgery. There is no consensus regarding postoperative driving restrictions. This study addresses how surgeons differ in their recommendations concerning cervical immobilization, narcotic analgesia, and suggested timeline of return to driving following cervical spine surgery.

Surgeons at the Cervical Spine Research Society annual meeting completed anonymous surveys assessing postoperative patient management following fusion and nonfusion cervical spine surgeries.

Seventy percent of surgeons returned completed surveys (n = 71). About 80.3% were orthopedic surgeons and 94.2% completed a spine fellowship. Experienced surgeons (>15 years in practice) were more likely to let patients return to driving within 2 weeks than less experienced surgeons (47.1% vs. 24.3%, P = 0.013) for multilevel anterior discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and laminectomy with fusion procedures. There were no differences between surgeons practicing inside and outside the USA for prescribing collars or return to driving time. Cervical collars were used more for fusions than nonfusions (57.7% vs. 31.0%, P = 0.001). Surgeons reported 75.3% of patients ask when they may resume driving. For cervical fusions, 31.4% of surgeons allowed their patients to resume driving while restricting them with collars for longer durations. Furthermore, 27.5% of surgeons allowed their patients to resume driving while taking narcotics postoperatively.

This survey-based study highlights the lack of consensus regarding patient "fitness to drive" following cervical spine surgery. The importance of establishing evidence-based guidelines is critical, as recommendations for driving in the postoperative period may have significant medical, legal, and financial implications.

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