Surgery is one way doctors work to help their patients become healthier, but for some patients, surgery can cause more problems than it solves. We work hard to prevent complications and risk factors associated with surgery, but some populations are at a greater risk of issues than others. Seniors, for example, may be more likely to develop certain complications than a younger, healthier patient. But does that mean elective spine surgery isn’t safe for older populations?
That’s the question researchers in Japan recently hoped to tackle. For their study, they analyzed surgery success rates of 270 patients who were undergoing elective spine surgery. Patients with significant trauma, tumors or infections were not included in the study because surgery may be their only option. Instead, this study focused on elderly patients who were undergoing an elective spine surgery procedure for damaged or deteriorating spinal components.
The Safety of Spine Surgery for Elderly Patients
Researchers founds some good and bad news when looking at the data from their study. One drawback was that the complication rate was pretty high compared to someone half their age, as about 20 percent of patients suffered at least one or more complications. However, none of the patients suffered major systemic complications or deaths as a result of their operation.
Other findings from the study include:
- 54 patients out of 270 suffered at least one complication.
- There were 67 documented complications.
- 8.1% of patients suffered a surgical site complication.
- 14.8% of patients suffered a minor systemic complication like anemia, delirium or a urinary tract infection.
- 4.1% of patients required a secondary operation.
So while 1 in 5 suffered a complication, that’s not entirely crazy considering what’s at stake. You’ve got an elderly population with plenty of natural degeneration and a body that’s simply not going to bounce back from surgery as easily as a younger body. Minor, controllable complications aren’t a huge concern if they can be prepared for and handled with car. Prevention is always preferred to treatment, but knowing what to expect can help us be ready if a complication arises.
So what factors made it more likely that an elderly patient would develop a complication? According to researchers, three factors stood out. Patients who were undergoing an operation that involved instrumentation (screws, plates, etc), patients whose operations lasted more than three hours, and patients who scored lower on a presurgical test that determined how able they were to care for themselves were all more likely to develop a minor systemic perioperative complication. However, now that these risks have been identified, surgeons and medical teams can make more insightful decisions when helping a patient decide if elective spine surgery is right for them.
So if you’re an older individual who wants to rid themselves of back pain, give Dr. Sinicropi a call. We can help identify your source of pain and walk you through some non-operative treatment options. If those techniques don’t work, we’ll go in-depth with you to determine if surgery is worth any potential risk. For more information, contact our office today.
