A new study published in Spine examines the complication and reoperation rate for Medicare beneficiaries who undergo surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
The study authors examined data from PearlDriver for Medicare beneficiaries who underwent surgery from 2005 to 2012. The patients underwent one- or two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, posterior cervical fusion or anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion. There were 10,557 patients younger than 65 years old included in the study and 24,310 patients older than 65 years.
Here are five key notes:
1. The patients younger than 65 years were significantly more likely to undergo reoperations than those who were 65 years or older.
2. The patients who underwent ACCF were significantly more likely to need reoperations than patients who underwent ACDF.
3. The PCF patients were more likely to report nondysphagia-related complications than the ACDF patients.
4. ACC was associated with increases in several issues when compared with ACDF in the 65 years and older population:
• Transfusion rates
• Dysphagia
• Hematoma/seroma formation
5. The study authors concluded, "The elderly patients are significantly less likely to have revision surgery after surgical treatment for CSM. Patients treated with ACCF are more likely to need a revision than those treated with ACDF."
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