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Spine surgery complexity score predicts outcomes in 671 consecutive spine surgery patients
Ida Azizkhanian1, Ryan Alcantara1, Zachary Ballinger1
1School of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, United States.
Background:
The spine surgery complexity score (SSCS), previously reported by us, is a simple grading system to predict postoperative complications and hospital length of stay (LOS). This scale is based on the technical difficulty of the spinal procedures being performed.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective chart review to validate SSCS in 671 consecutive patients undergoing spine procedures at a quaternary academic hospital.
Results:
The SSCS was predictive of the hospital LOS and postoperative complications (defined by the ClavienDindo score), based on linear regression analysis (P < 0.001 for both).
Conclusion:
Categorizing procedures according to the SSCS may enable neurosurgeons to assess surgical risk and predict longer LOS courses after spine surgery. Thus, it may prove useful in preoperative patient evaluation/ education and determining a prognosis based on surgical complexity.
