A study in Clinical Spine Surgery compared 30-day complications of inpatient and outpatient single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.
The researchers identified 6,940 patients who underwent single-level ACDF, 74.4 percent of whom received the inpatient procedure and 25.6 percent received the outpatient procedure. They analyzed the medical and surgical complications, reoperation, readmission and mortality for these patients.
Here's what you need to know:
1. The overall complication rate, including both the inpatient and outpatient cohorts, was 4.2 percent.
2. The overall complication rate for the inpatient group was 2.5 percent, compared to only 1.2 percent for the outpatient group.
3. The readmission rate for the inpatient group was 2.2 percent, compared to only 1.8 percent for the outpatient group; however, the researchers determined this difference was not statistically significant.
4. The mortality rate was 0.1 percent in both the inpatient and outpatient groups.
The researchers concluded: "Outpatient surgery for single-level ACDF is safe and a favorable option for suitable patients."