A study recently published in Spine examines the patient characteristics associated with increased postoperative length of stay and readmission after elective laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis.
The researchers examined 2,358 patients who underwent laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis during 2011 and 2012 identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. The average postoperative length of stay was 2.1±2.6 days, and 2.7 percent of patients were readmitted within 30 days postoperatively.
Risks of prolonged length of stay were:
• Older age
• Higher body mass index
• American Society of Anesthesiologists class three to four
• Preoperative hematocrit less than 36
Risk factors for readmission were the same as the first three factors for the prolonged length of stay, adding steroid use. Surgical site-related infections were the most common reason for readmission.
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