title: Strategies to avoid wrong-site surgery during spinal procedures.
abstract: Wrong-site surgery (WSS) is a rare occurrence that can have devastating consequences for patient care. There are several factors inherent to spine surgery that increase the risk of WSS compared with other types of surgery. Not only can a surgeon potentially operate on the wrong side of the spine or the wrong level, but there are unique issues related to spinal localization that can be challenging for even the most experienced clinicians. The following review discusses important issues that can help prevent WSS during spinal procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1029, USA. whsu@wakehealth.edu
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kretzer
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dorsi
authors.forename: Ziya L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Gokaslan
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery