Objective:

To investigate the risk factors for increased surgical drain output after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).

Methods:

Patients who underwent TLIF in a single center from June 2017 to January 2020 were included in this study. They were divided into the increased surgical drain output group and no increased surgical drain output group according to the boundary of the median drain output. Patients’ demographic and clinical parameters were compared between two groups. The risk factors for increased surgical drain output were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results:

368 patients who underwent TLIF were enrolled in this study. 187 patients had increased surgical drain output (drain output ≥ 50th percentile or 480 mL). Univariate analysis showed that age (P < 0.001), smoking status (P = 0.002), number of fused levels (P < 0.001), intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.001), intraoperative endplate injury (P < 0.001), administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) (P = 0.002), and surgical duration (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with increased surgical drain output. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that older age (P = 0.001), smoking (P = 0.005), more fused levels (P < 0.001), and intraoperative endplate injury (P = 0.017) were the independent risk factors, while administration of TXA (P = 0.012) was a protective factor.

Conclusions:

This study showed that older age, smoking, more fused levels, and intraoperative endplate injury were the independent risk factors, while administration of TXA was a protective factor for increased surgical drain output after TLIF.