title: The perioperative course of combined anterior and posterior spinal fusion.
abstract: A retrospective study was undertaken to characterize and compare the perioperative course of 91 cases of one- and two-stage combined anterior and posterior spinal fusions over a 7-year period. The two patient populations were similar regarding preoperative characteristics and the number of levels fused. Significantly decreased operative and anesthesia time, operative blood loss, and postoperative hospital days were seen in the one-stage population compared to the two-stage cases (P < 0.05). For the spinal deformity subgroup, a longer chest-tube duration, decreased anesthesia time, and decreased postoperative hospital stay in the one-stage group were the only significant differences. Surgical treatment delays were noted in 8% of one-stage cases and in 23% of two-stage cases. Complications occurred in 53% of all cases, with a significantly higher major complication rate in patients with preoperative medical comorbidities who underwent two-stage combined fusion versus one-stage reconstruction. Higher complication rates were also associated with an age greater than 40 years, the presence of medical comorbidities, and cases treated with a thoracoabdominal anterior approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute, New York, New York.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Spivak
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Neuwirth
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bloom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data