P.221 Frailty is an Important Predictor of 30-day Morbidity in Patients Treated for Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Using a Posterior Surgical Approach. (November 2021) - Chan, V
Abstract : Background: A non-operative approach has been favoured for elderly patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis due to a perceived higher risk with surgery. However, most studies have used an arbitrary age cut-off to define "elderly." We hypothesized that frailty is an independent predictor of morbidity after surgery for lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database for years 2010 to 2018 was used. Patients who received posterior lumbar spine decompression with or without posterior fusion instrumented fusion for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis were included. The primary outcome was major complication. Secondary outcomes were readmission, reoperation, and discharge to location other than home. Logistic regression analysis was done to investigate the association between outcomes and frailty. Results: There were 15 658 patients in this study. The mean age was 62.5 years (SD 12.2). Frailty, as measured by the Modified Frailty Index-5 was significantly associated with increased risk of major complication, unplanned readmission, reoperation, and non-home discharge. Increasing frailty was associated with increasing risk of morbidity. Conclusions: Frailty is independently associated with higher risk of morbidity after posterior surgery in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis. These data are of significance to clinicians in planning treatment for these patients.