A new study published in the International Journal of Spine Surgery examines the readmission rate for outpatient anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.
The study authors examined the State Ambulatory Services Database for New Jersey to assess outpatient ACDF procedures performed from 2003 to 2012. There were 2,016 patients included in the study and 1,528 with readmission data.
Here are five key notes from the report:
1. There was a 5.4 percent readmission rate for outpatient ACDF.
2. After propensity score matching, there was no difference in perioperative complications for outpatient ACDF, but the sample size was small.
3. None of the patients who required readmission had an initial length of stay longer than one day.
4. None of the patients that required readmission suffered respiratory complications or hematoma/seroma.
5. The study reported a higher readmission rate than other outpatient ACDF studies, including a 2016 study with 1,000 patients that reported a 2.2 percent readmission rate.