Predictors of Extended Hospitalization and Early Reoperation After Elective Lumbar Disc Arthroplasty

Lumbar disc arthroplasty (LDA) has emerged as a motion-sparing alternative to lumbar fusion. Although LDA may be amenable to the ambulatory surgical setting, to date no study has identified the factors predisposing patients to extended hospital stay.

A national surgical quality improvement database was queried from 2011 to 2019 for patients undergoing elective, single-level, primary LDA. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to elucidate predictors of length of stay (LOS) at or above the 90th percentile of the study population (3 days). Secondary study endpoints included rates of complications, as well as predictors and reasons for unplanned reoperation within 30 days.

A total of 630 patients met eligibility criteria for the study, of whom 517 (82.1%) had LOS <3 days and 113 (17.9%) had LOS ≥3 days. Multivariate logistic regression revealed associations between prolonged hospitalization and postoperative diagnosis of degenerative disk disease, obesity, Hispanic identity, and operation length >120 minutes. Before discharge, patients with LOS ≥3 days were more likely to have venous thromboembolisms, pneumonia, surgical site infections, and reoperations. Independent predictors of reoperation were wound infections, diabetes, and smoking.

Complications following elective single-level LDA are relatively rare, with few extended hospitalizations being attributable to any specific complication. Risk factors for prolonged LOS appear to be related to diagnosis and surgical time rather than to modifiable preoperative comorbidities. Conversely, unplanned reoperations within 30 days are associated with optimizable perioperative factors such as smoking, diabetes, and surgical site infection.