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Acute complications in open/miss primary and revision thoracolumbar spine surgery: a descriptive study of the most common complications and treatment of choice

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Abstract

Purpose

Main question

The aim of this study is to describe and analyze the frequency of acute perioperative (intraoperatively and 30 days after) complications of open/MISS thoracolumbar spine surgery.

Secondary questions

  1. A)

    Describe the treatment of choice for every kind of complication mentioned.

  2. B)

    Perform a bibliographic search and compare the complications described and their frequency with those studied in the manuscript.

Methods

A retrospective cohort of 816 patients undergoing spinal surgery over a two year period was analyzed. Acute complications of 59 patients are described whether those with a greater number of levels required longer periods of hospitalization.

Results

The frequency of acute complications was 7.2%. The most common was infection (2.7%), followed by dural tear (1.7%), and screw malpositioning (1%), which is consistent with the current literature. No statistically significant results were observed when comparing the mean length of hospital stay among patients operated on a greater number of levels compared to the rest (P: 0.344; 95% CI: -3.88–10.93).

Conclusions

The subsidiary patient of spinal surgery is getting older and has more comorbidities, and therefore, has a higher risk of complications. Although there are models predicting the risk of complications, they are not used in routine clinical practice. It would be necessary to unify the main criteria and establish guidelines for risk detection and therapeutic algorithms based on new high-quality studies.

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Code availability

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Acknowledgements

Maria Royo Agustín for giving me the first steps to do the manuscript.

Funding

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital General Obispo Polanco (Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology Service), Teruel, Spain

    Alberto Planas Gil

  2. Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, (Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology Service, Spine surgery), Zaragoza, Spain

    Alfredo Chárlez Marco, Antonio Loste Ramos, Diego Peña Jiménez, Facundo Rojas Tomba, Enrique Suñén Sánchez, Marina Angulo Tabernero & Antonio Tabuenca Sánchez

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  1. Alberto Planas Gil
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  2. Alfredo Chárlez Marco
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  3. Antonio Loste Ramos
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  5. Facundo Rojas Tomba
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  6. Enrique Suñén Sánchez
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  7. Marina Angulo Tabernero
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  8. Antonio Tabuenca Sánchez
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Manuscript idea: Alfredo Chárlez Marco.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alberto Planas Gil.

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Planas Gil, A., Chárlez Marco, A., Loste Ramos, A. et al. Acute complications in open/miss primary and revision thoracolumbar spine surgery: a descriptive study of the most common complications and treatment of choice. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 48, 555–561 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-023-06047-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-023-06047-7

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