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Reoperation following lumbar spinal surgery: costs and outcomes in a UK population cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)

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Abstract

Purpose

To assess the likelihood of persistent postoperative pain (PPP) following reoperation after lumbar surgery and to estimate associated healthcare costs.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study using two linked UK databases: Hospital Episode Statistics and UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Costs and outcomes associated with reoperation were evaluated over a 2-year postoperative period using multivariate logistic regression for cases who underwent reoperation and controls who did not, based on demographics, index surgery type, smoking status, and pre-index comorbidities using propensity score matching.

Results

Risk factors associated with reoperation included younger age and the presence of diabetes with complications or rheumatic disease. The rate of PPP after reoperation was much higher than after index surgery, with 79 of 200 (39.5%; 95% CI 32.5%, 46.5%) participants experiencing ongoing pain compared with 983 of 5022 (19.5%; 95% CI 18.5%, 20.7%) after index surgery. Mean costs in the 2 years following reoperation were £1889 higher (95% CI £2, £3809) than for patients with PPP who did not undergo repeat surgery over an equivalent follow-up period. With the cost of reoperation itself included, the mean cost difference for patients who underwent reoperation compared with matched controls rose to £7221 (95% CI £5273, £9206).

Conclusions

High rates of PPP and associated healthcare costs suggest that returning to the operating room is a complex and challenging decision. Spinal surgeons should review whether the potential benefits of additional surgery are justified when other approaches to managing and relieving chronic pain have demonstrated superior outcomes.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Medtronic International Trading Sàrl, Switzerland and was based in part on data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink obtained under licence from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. However, the interpretation and conclusions contained in this study are those of the authors alone.

Funding

This study was supported by Medtronic International Trading Sàrl, Switzerland. However, Medtronic did not play a direct role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PHMR, Ltd., Bldg D, Berkeley Works, Berkley Grove, London, NW1 8XY, UK

    Sharada Weir & Tzu-Chun Kuo

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Mihail Samnaliev

  3. Centre for Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College, Du Cane Road, London, W120NN, UK

    Travis S. Tierney

  4. Centre for Health Economics, Alcuin A, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Andrea Manca

  5. Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK

    Rod S. Taylor

  6. Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK

    Julie Bruce

  7. Department of Pain Medicine, Cheriton House, The James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3 BW, UK

    Sam Eldabe

  8. Trauma and Orthopaedics Department, Ipswich Hospital, Heath Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 5PD, UK

    David Cumming

Authors
  1. Sharada Weir
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  2. Tzu-Chun Kuo
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  3. Mihail Samnaliev
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  4. Travis S. Tierney
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  5. Andrea Manca
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  6. Rod S. Taylor
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  7. Julie Bruce
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  8. Sam Eldabe
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  9. David Cumming
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Contributions

DC conceived the study. SW acquired the data. TCK, MS, and SW developed the analysis plan. TCK and MS analysed the data. SW and DC drafted the manuscript. JB, DC, SE, TCK, AM, MS, RST, TT and SW revised the manuscript. All authors contributed intellectually to the interpretation of the data, participated in manuscript development and approved the final version. SW is the guarantor.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sharada Weir.

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Competing interests

PHMR, LLC, received consulting fees from Medtronic. SW, MS and TCK received consulting fees from PHMR, LLC. RST, AM, JB, DC and SE received consulting fees from Medtronic as advisors to the project. TT has no competing interests associated with this work.

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Weir, S., Kuo, TC., Samnaliev, M. et al. Reoperation following lumbar spinal surgery: costs and outcomes in a UK population cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Eur Spine J 28, 863–871 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-018-05871-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-018-05871-5

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