Late-week Multilevel Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Associated With Increased Length of Stay

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective analysis of clinical data from a single institution.

Objective: To assess the day of surgery during the week as a possible predictor of length of stay (LOS) following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

Summary of background data: Surgeries later in the week may result in longer LOS and higher costs for joint arthroplasty, yet this is unclear following spine surgery. Procedures performed later in the week may lead to weekend admissions when there are limited services that may contribute to an extended LOS. We attempt to identify associations between day of surgery and LOS, readmission, and complications following single- and multilevel ACDF.

Materials and methods: Patients at a single institution undergoing ACDF by 7 primary surgeons in both orthopedic and neurosurgery spine departments between 2015 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were stratified by surgery day at either the beginning (Monday/Tuesday) or end (Thursday/Friday) of the week and by single- or multilevel ACDF. Surgery for trauma, infections, adjacent level disease, or revision were excluded. Patient demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), LOS, postoperative complications, and readmission rates were assessed.

Results: Six hundred fifty-two patients underwent ACDF. For single-level ACDF, 222 were reviewed, with 112 having surgery at the beginning and 110 at the end of the week. For multilevel ACDF, 431 were reviewed, with 192 having surgery at the beginning and 239 at the end of the week. No differences in pre- or postoperative variables were determined for single-level ACDF. Despite no differences in pre-operative variables, CCI, operative duration, or number of levels, late-week multilevel ACDF had longer average LOS (2.8±3.0 days) compared to early-week surgery (2.0±2.0 days) ( P =0.018).

Conclusions: Late-week multilevel ACDF was associated with an increased LOS, as it may prove beneficial to surgical planning. This conflicts with previous reports that day of week was not associated with LOS following ACDF.

Level of evidence: III.