Time of Discharge and 30-Day Re-Presentation to an Acute Care Setting After Elective Lumbar Decompression Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the consequence of efforts to increase patient throughput and decrease length of stay in the context of elective spine surgery is limited. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether early time of discharge results in increased rates of hospital readmission or return to emergency department for patients admitted after elective, posterior, lumbar decompression surgery. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 779 patients admitted to hospital after undergoing elective, posterior, lumbar decompression surgery. Multiple logistic regression evaluated the relationship between time of discharge and the primary outcome of return to acute care within 30 days, while controlling for sociodemographic, procedural, and discharge characteristics. RESULTS: In multiple logistic regression, time of discharge earlier in the day was not associated with increased odds of return to acute care within 30 days (odds ratio [OR] 1.18, 95% CI 0.92-1.52, P = .19). Weekend discharge (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.04-3.79, P = .04) increased the likelihood of return to acute care. Surgeon experience (<1 year of attending practice, OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.19-1.00, P = .05 and 2-5 years of attending practice, OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.25-1.01, P = .054), weekend discharge (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.27-0.89, P = .02), and physical therapy evaluation (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.12-0.33, P < .001) decreased the likelihood of discharge before noon. CONCLUSION: Time of discharge is not associated with risk of readmission or presentation to the emergency department after elective lumbar decompression. Weekend discharge is independently associated with increased risk of readmission and decreased likelihood of prenoon discharge.

Influence of socioeconomic factors on discharge disposition following traumatic cervicothoracic spinal cord injury at level I and II trauma centers in the United States.

Background: Discharge to acute rehabilitation is strongly correlated with functional recovery after traumatic injury, including spinal cord injury (SCI). However, services such as acute care rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) are expensive. Our objective was to understand if high-cost, resource-intensive post-discharge rehabilitation or alternative care facilities are utilized at disparate rates across socioeconomic groups after SCI. Methods: We performed a cohort analysis using the National Trauma Data Bank® tabulated from 2012-2016. Eligible patients had a diagnosis of cervical or thoracic spine fracture with spinal cord injury (SCI) and were treated surgically. We evaluated associations of sociodemographic and psychosocial variables with non-home discharge (e.g., discharge to SNF, other healthcare facility, or intermediate care facility) via multivariable logistic regression while correcting for injury severity and hospital characteristics. Results: We identified 3933 eligible patients. Patients who were older, male (OR=1.29 95% Confidence Interval [1.07-1.56], p=.007), insured by Medicare (OR=1.45 [1.08-1.96], p=.015), diagnosed with a major psychiatric disorder (OR=1.40 [1.03-1.90], p=.034), had a higher Injury Severity Score (OR=5.21 [2.96-9.18], p<.001) or a lower Glasgow Coma Score (3-8 points, OR=2.78 [1.81-4.27], p<.001) had a higher chance of a non-home discharge. The only sociodemographic variable associated with lower likelihood of utilizing additional healthcare facilities following discharge was uninsured status (OR=0.47 [0.37-0.60], p<.001). Conclusions: Uninsured patients are less likely to be discharged to acute rehabilitation or alternative healthcare facilities following surgical management of SCI. High out-of-pocket costs for uninsured patients in the United States may deter utilization of these services.

Neighborhood-level socioeconomic status, extended length of stay, and discharge disposition following elective lumbar spine surgery.

Background: In the context of increased attention afforded to hospital efficiency and improved but safe patient throughput, decreasing unnecessary hospital length of stay (LOS) is imperative. Given that lumbar spine procedures may be among a hospital's most profitable services, identifying patients at risk of increased healthcare resource utilization prior to surgery is a valuable opportunity to develop targeted pre- and peri-operative intervention and quality improvement initiatives. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine patient factors that predict prolonged LOS as well as discharge disposition following elective, posterior, lumbar spine surgery. Methods: We employed a retrospective cohort analysis on 779 consecutive patients treated with lumbar surgery without fusion. Our primary outcome measures were extended LOS (three or more midnights) and discharge disposition. Patient sociodemographic, procedural, and discharge characteristics were adjusted for in our analysis. Sociodemographic variables included Area of Deprivation Index (ADI), a comprehensive metric of socioeconomic status, utilizing income, education, employment, and housing quality based on patient zip code. Multivariable logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to assess whether covariates were independently predictive of extended LOS and discharge disposition, respectively. Results: 779 patients were studied, with a median age of 66 years (±15) and a median LOS of 1 midnight (range, 1-10 midnights). Patients in the most disadvantaged ADI quintile (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 2.48 95% CI 1.15-5.47), those who underwent a minimally-invasive or tubular retractor surgery (aOR 3.03 95% CI 1.02-8.56), those who had an intra-operative drain placed (aOR 4.46 95% CI 2.53-7.26), who had a cerebrospinal fluid leak (aOR 3.46 95% CI 1.55-7.58), who were discharged anywhere but home (aOR 17.11 95% CI 9.24-33.00), and those who were evaluated by physical therapy (aOR 7.23 95% CI 2.13-45.30) or OT (aOR 2.20 95% CI 1.13-4.22) had a significantly increased chance of an extended LOS. Preoperative opioid use was not associated with an increased LOS following surgery (aOR 1.12 95% CI 0.56-1.46). Extended LOS was not associated with post-discharge emergency department representation or unplanned readmission within 90 days following discharge (p=0.148). Patients who were older (aOR 1.99 95% CI 1.62-2.48), in higher quintiles on ADI (3rd quintile; aOR 1.90 95% CI 1.12-3.23, 4th quintile; aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.05-3.05, 5th quintile; aOR 2.16 95% CI 1.26-3.75), who had a CSF leak (aOR 2.18 95% CI 1.22-3.86), or who had a longer procedure duration (aOR 1.38 95% CI 1.17-1.62) were more likely to require additional services or be sent to a subacute facility upon discharge. Conclusions: Patient sociodemographics, along with procedural factors, and discharge disposition were all associated with an increased likelihood of prolonged LOS and resource intensive discharges following elective lumbar spine surgery. Several of these factors could be reliably identified pre-operatively and may be amenable to targeted preoperative intervention. Improving discharge disposition planning in the peri-operative period may allow for more efficient use of hospitalization and inpatient and post-acute resources.

Influence of Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Factors on Length of Stay After Surgical Management of Traumatic Spine Fracture with Spinal Cord Injury.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying patients at risk of increased health care resource utilization is a valuable opportunity to develop targeted preoperative and perioperative interventions. In the present investigation, we sought to examine patient sociodemographic factors that predict prolonged length of stay (LOS) after traumatic spine fracture. METHODS: We performed a cohort analysis using the National Trauma Data Bank tabulated during 2012-2016. Eligible patients were those who were diagnosed with cervical or thoracic spine fracture with spinal cord injury and who were treated surgically. We evaluated the effects of sociodemographic as well as psychosocial variables on LOS by negative binomial regression and adjusted for injury severity, injury mechanism, and hospital characteristics. RESULTS: We identified 3856 eligible patients with a median LOS of 9 days (interquartile range, 6-15 days). Patients in older age categories, who were male (incidence rate ratio (IRR), 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.09), black (IRR, 1.12; CI, 1.05-1.19) or Hispanic (IRR, 1.09; CI, 1.03-1.16), insured by Medicaid (IRR, 1.24; CI, 1.17-1.31), or had a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder (IRR, 1.12; CI, 1.06-1.18) were significantly more likely to have a longer LOS. In addition, patients with severe injury on Injury Severity Score (IRR, 1.32; CI, 1.14-1.53) and lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores (GCS score 3-8, IRR, 1.44; CI, 1.35-1.55; GCS score 9-11, IRR, 1.40; CI, 1.25-1.58) on admission had a significantly lengthier LOS. Patients admitted to a hospital in the Southern United States (IRR, 1.09; CI, 1.05-1.14) had longer LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic factors such as race, insurance status, and alcohol use disorder were associated with a prolonged LOS after surgical management of traumatic spine fracture with spinal cord injury.

Influence of Time of Discharge and Length of Stay on 30-Day Outcomes After Elective Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Encouraging early time of discharge (TOD) for medical inpatients is commonplace and may potentially improve patient throughput. It is unclear, however, whether early TOD after elective spine surgery achieves this goal without a consequent increase in re-presentations to the hospital. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether early TOD results in increased rates of hospital readmission or return to the emergency department after elective anterior cervical spine surgery. METHODS: We analyzed 686 patients who underwent elective uncomplicated anterior cervical spine surgery at a single institution. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic, procedural, and discharge characteristics, and the outcomes of readmission or return to the emergency department and TOD. RESULTS: In multiple logistic regression, TOD was not associated with increased risk of readmission or return to the emergency department within 30 days of surgery. Weekend discharge (odds ratio [OR] 0.33, 95% CI 0.21-0.53), physical therapy evaluation (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.28-0.71), and occupational therapy evaluation (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.17-0.63) were all significantly associated with decreased odds of discharge before noon. Disadvantaged status, as measured by area of deprivation index, was associated with increased odds of readmission or re-presentation (OR 1.86, 95% CI 0.95-3.66), although this result did not achieve statistical significance. CONCLUSION: There does not appear to be an association between readmission or return to the emergency department and early TOD after elective spine surgery. Overuse of inpatient physical and occupational therapy consultations may contribute to decreased patient throughput in surgical admissions.

Neighborhood-Level Socioeconomic Status Predicts Extended Length of Stay After Elective Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery.

BACKGROUND: A significant portion of health care spending is driven by a small percentage of the overall population. Understanding risk factors predisposing patients to disproportionate use of health care resources is critical. Our objective was to identify risk factors leading to a prolonged length of stay (LOS) after cervical spine surgery. METHODS: A single-center cohort analysis was performed on patients who underwent elective anterior spine surgery from 2015 to 2021. Multivariate logistic regression evaluated the effects of sociodemographic factors including Area of Deprivation Index (quantifies income, education, employment, and housing quality), procedural, and discharge characteristics on postoperative LOS. Extended LOS was defined as greater than the 90th percentile in midnights for the study population (≥3 midnights). RESULTS: A total of 686 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 57 years (range, 26-92 years), median of 1 level (1-4) fused, and median LOS of 1 midnight (interquartile range, 1-2). After adjusting for confounders, patients had increased odds of extended LOS if they were highly disadvantaged on the Area of Deprivation Index (odds ratio [OR], 2.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-4.82; P = 0.039); had surgery on Thursday or Friday (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.01-3.72; P = 0.046); had a corpectomy performed (OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.26-6.28; P = 0.012); or discharged not to home (OR, 8.24; 95% CI, 2.88-23.56; P < 0.001). Patients with extended LOS were more likely to present to the emergency department or be readmitted within 30 days after discharge (P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for potential cofounders, patients most disadvantaged on Area of Deprivation Index were more likely to have an extended LOS.

Socioeconomic and Psychosocial Predictors of Magnetic Resonance Imaging After Cervical and Thoracic Spine Trauma in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Socioeconomic factors are known to influence outcomes after spinal trauma, but it is unclear how these factors affect health care utilization in acute care settings. We aimed to elucidate if sociodemographic and psychosocial factors are associated with obtaining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a costly imaging modality, after cervical or thoracic spine fracture. METHODS: Data from the 2012-2016 American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank were used. We assessed the relationship between receipt of MRI and patient-level sociodemographic and psychosocial factors as well as hospital characteristics while correcting for injury-specific characteristics. Multiple logistic regression was performed to assess for associations between these variables and MRI after spine trauma. RESULTS: A total of 213,071 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 13.0% had an MRI (n = 27,757). After adjusting for confounders in multivariate regression, patients had increased odds of MRI if they were Hispanic (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; P = 0.001) or black (OR, 1.14; P < 0.001) or were diagnosed with major psychiatric disorder (OR, 1.06; P = 0.009), alcohol use disorder (OR, 1.05; P < 0.001), or substance use disorder (OR, 1.10; P < 0.001). Patients with Medicare (OR, 0.88; P < 0.001) or Medicaid (OR, 0.94; P < 0.011) were less likely to have an MRI than were those with private insurance, whereas patients treated in the Northeast (OR, 1.48; P < 0.001) or at for-profit hospitals (OR, 1.12; P < 0.001) were more likely. CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for injury severity and spinal cord injury diagnosis, psychosocial comorbidities and for-profit hospital status were associated with higher odds of MRI, whereas public insurance was associated with lower odds. Results highlight potential biases in the provision of MRI as a costly imaging modality.

Evolution of surgical treatment of metastatic spine tumors.

PURPOSE: The treatment of cancer has transformed over the past 40 years, with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons working together to prolong survival times and minimize treatment related morbidity. With each advancement, the risk-benefit scale has been calibrated to provide an accurate assessment of surgical hazard. The goal of this review is to look back at how the role of surgery has evolved with each new medical advance, and to explore the role of surgeons in the future of cancer care. METHODS: A literature review was conducted, highlighting the key papers guiding surgical management of spinal metastatic lesions. CONCLUSION: The roles of surgery, medical therapy, and radiation have evolved over the past 40 years, with new advances requiring complex multidisciplinary care.