Risk factors of unintended return to the operating room in adult spinal deformity

To evaluate the incidence and risk factors associated with unintended return to the operating room in adult spinal deformity after spinal deformity corrective surgery.

Retrospect of 141 adult spinal deformity patients in a single institution between January 2017 and December 2019. Inclusion criteria enrolled 18 to 80 years old patients who diagnosed with congenital/idiopathic/syndromic/acquired spinal deformity underwent posterior corrective spinal surgery. The surgical details and complications were recorded. The rate of unintended return to the operating room (UIROR) during hospitalization was examined, and the risk factors of unintended return to the operating room were investigated via multivariate analysis.

This is a retrospective study. One hundred and forty-one patients who underwent spinal deformity surgery with a mean age of 31.8 years (range 18-69 years) were studied. The rate of unintended return to the operating room was 10.64% (15/141). Two of 15 patients had twice unintended surgery during hospitalization (13.33%). The most principal complication was neurologic deficit (73.3%); six of 15 postoperative present implants deviation causes severe lower limbs radiating pain (40%). The multivariate analysis shows higher apical vertebral rotation (AVR>grade II, odds ratio [OR] = 9.362; 95% CI= 1.930-45.420; P= .006), obesity (OR = 11.448; 95% CI= 1.320-99.263; P= .027), and previous neurological symptom (OR = 7.358; 95% CI= 1.798-30.108; P= .006) were independent predictors of unintended return to the operating room.

Postoperative neurologic deficit and short-term implant malposition are essential causes of unintended return to the operating room in adult spinal deformity patients. Preoperative factors such as higher AVR (> grade II), obesity, and previous neurological symptom may significantly increase the risk of morbidity in UIROR. Spine surgeons should be alert to these risk factors and require adequate preoperative evaluations to reduce the incidence of unintended return to the operating room.