Study design:

A retrospective analysis of data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Readmissions Database (HCUP-NRD).

Purpose:

To identify the perioperative characteristics associated with 30-day and 90-day readmission due to intestinal bowel obstructions (IBOs) following posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) procedure.

Overview of literature:

PLF procedures are used to repair spinal injuries and curvature deformities. IBO is a common surgical complication and its repair often necessitates surgery that increases the readmission rates and healthcare costs. Previous studies have identified the preoperative risk factors for 30-day readmissions in PLF; however, no study has specifically investigated IBO or identified risk factors for 90-day readmissions.

Methods:

Data on demographic characteristics and medical comorbidities of patients who underwent PLF with subsequent readmission were obtained from the HCUP-NRD. The perioperative characteristics that were significantly different between patients readmitted with and without an active diagnosis of IBO were identified with bivariate analysis for both 30-day and 90-day readmissions. The significant characteristics were then included in a multivariate analysis to identify those that were independently associated with 30- day and 90-day readmissions.

Results:

Drug abuse (odds ratio [OR], 4.00), uncomplicated diabetes (OR, 2.06), having Medicare insurance (OR, 1.65), age 55-64 years (OR, 2.42), age 65-79 years (OR, 2.77), and age >80 years (OR, 3.87) were significant risk factors for 30-day readmission attributable to IBO after a PLF procedure.

Conclusions:

Of the several preoperative risk factors identified for readmission with IBO after PLF surgery, drug abuse had the strongest association and was likely to be the most clinically relevant factor. Physicians and care teams should understand the risks of opioid-based pain management regimens, attempt to manage pain with a multimodal approach, and minimize the opioid use.