Diabetic status is a risk factor for increased hospital length of stay after minimally invasive lumbar discectomy, according to a study in Clinical Spine Surgery.
Here are four things to know:
1. Researchers from Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center's orthopedic surgery department reviewed a surgical database of patients who underwent level 1 MIS LD from 2011 to 2016.
2. Study authors included 176 patients in the retrospective, cohort study and defined long length of stay as discharge after postoperative day zero. Around 9.7 percent of patients were discharged after postoperative day zero.
3. The study found:
- Diabetic status and narcotic consumption were associated with a prolonged length of stay after MIS LD
- Diabetic status was independently associated with a prolonged length of stay
4. Since delayed hospital discharge can lead to increased costs, greater complication risks and reduced patient satisfaction, the study authors urge providers to better counsel diabetic patients and monitor them more closely after MIS LD.