Spine surgeon specialty differences in single-level percutaneous kyphoplasty

Area of Science:

• Spine Surgery
• Surgical Outcomes
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) is a common spinal procedure.
• The influence of surgeon specialty (neurosurgery vs. orthopedic surgery) on short-term outcomes is not well-established.
• Understanding these differences can inform patient risk stratification and preventive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare short-term adverse outcomes of single-level PKP performed by neurosurgeons versus orthopedic surgeons.
• To identify specific risk predictors for complications and readmissions within each specialty.
• To enhance evidence-based patient counseling and risk reduction methods.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 2248 patients undergoing single-level PKP from the ACS NSQIP database (2012-2014).
• Utilized univariate and multivariate logistic regression to assess outcomes.
• Compared postoperative complications and unplanned readmissions between neurosurgical and orthopedic cohorts.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in most postoperative complications or unplanned readmissions between neurosurgical and orthopedic cohorts.
• A higher postoperative blood transfusion rate was observed in the orthopedic cohort (1.7% vs. 0.7%).
• Multivariate analysis identified distinct independent predictors of adverse events for each specialty.

Conclusions:

• Short-term adverse events after single-level PKP are generally not influenced by surgeon specialty, with the exception of transfusion rates.
• Different perioperative factors predict complications and readmissions depending on whether a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon performs the procedure.
• Findings support tailored patient counseling and risk management strategies based on surgeon specialty and identified predictors.