Retrospective review of 1,223 adult anterior thoracic and lumbar spinal fusions at a single spine center over 23 years (1969–1992), documenting the incidence and specific types of perioperative complications and identifying patient and procedure variables that predict complication risk.
When consenting a patient for anterior spinal fusion, quote the 11.5% anterior-specific complication rate and flag age >60, female sex, multiple comorbidities, and thoracotomy-level access as drivers of higher risk; for high thoracotomy extending to T1–T2, specifically counsel about a 7% risk of permanent Horner-Bernard syndrome and a 9% risk of chronic post-thoracotomy pain, and for lumbar revision cases, approach from the contralateral side to reduce ureteral injury risk.
Retrospective review of 1,223 adult anterior thoracic and lumbar spinal fusions at a single spine center over 23 years (1969–1992), documenting the incidence and specific types of perioperative complications and identifying patient and procedure variables that predict complication risk.
When consenting a patient for anterior spinal fusion, quote the 11.5% anterior-specific complication rate and flag age >60, female sex, multiple comorbidities, and thoracotomy-level access as drivers of higher risk; for high thoracotomy extending to T1–T2, specifically counsel about a 7% risk of permanent Horner-Bernard syndrome and a 9% risk of chronic post-thoracotomy pain, and for lumbar revision cases, approach from the contralateral side to reduce ureteral injury risk.